The Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, during the inauguration of the Ministry of Culture and Communication in Port-au-Prince, on November 26. RALPH TEDY EROL (REUTERS)
Haiti begins 2022 mired in violence.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry has assured that he had to flee from the northern city of Gonaïves after a shootout between his security forces and an armed group that had warned the president not to enter the city.
One person died and at least two more were injured.
The attack occurred as the prime minister was leaving a church after a ceremony to celebrate the 218th anniversary of Haiti's independence from France. “Today, our enemies, the enemies of the Haitian people, are the terrorists who do not hesitate to use violence to kill people with all their might, or to kidnap them, take away their freedom, violate them. And they do it all for money, "wrote Ariel Henry on his Twitter account. A video circulating on social networks shows the moment when Henry leaves the church and the shots begin to be heard.
ATTENTION.
This is the video in which you see when they open fire on the Prime Minister of Haiti, @DrArielHenry at the conclusion of a mass for the 218th anniversary of the independence of #Haiti held in Gonavies.
He emerged unscathed from the attack.
#rcnoticias #robertocavada pic.twitter.com/0joWpOhjWL
- Roberto Cavada (@rcavada) January 2, 2022
The attack forced the prime minister to cancel the events he had scheduled in the city, about which armed groups had warned they did not want his presence. The prime minister's office, contacted by The Associated Press, said Monday that "bandits and terrorists" attempted on Henry's life and accused the group of hiding behind walls to attack the convoy and threatening the bishop by surrounding the church. "This is intolerable," said the office, which announced arrest warrants, without specifying who was behind the attack.
Haiti is suffering a strong wave of violence that was increased after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last July.
There are several criminal gangs such as the
G9 an fanmi (
G9 and family
)
,
400 Mawoso
(
the vulgar 400
)
or
Izo 5 Segonn (
Izo five seconds
),
which have become the new state that controls trade, transportation, loans between individuals or the justice system and that are financed, in part, thanks to kidnappings.
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