A state of emergency has been declared in Haiti after armed men stormed two prisons. One is the National Prison in Port-au-Prince, which houses nearly 4,000 inmates. Another prison in Croix-des-Bouquets was also stormed.
The majority of the prisoners have fled. Gun battles are raging in Port-au-Prince, and witnesses report bodies lying in the streets.
Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer who goes by “Barbecue,” united several gangs together under the name G9 in 2020. He currently calling his forces the “Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies.” However, there is another alliance called G-Pep that fights with G9 for control of territory.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry is said to be in hiding since signing a deal with the government of Kenya on March 1st. The agreement calls for an international peacekeeping force spearheaded by 1,000 Kenyan police officers.
