Spanish
The Haitian National Police (HNP) is on high alert following new threats from the leader of the armed coalition Viv Ansanm (Live Together), Jimmy Cherisier, alias "Barbecue", who asked the population not to leave their homes starting this Monday due to an imminent confrontation with law enforcement, which is maintaining an offensive against gangs.
This new threat from 'Barbecue' takes place days after the National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAD'H), and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) launched a broad joint operation against the armed group 400 Mawozo, which has been taking the inhabitants of the municipalities of Tabarre and Croix des Bouquets, north of Port-au-Prince, hostage for years, leaving gang members dead and weapons seized.
The Haitian National Police announced this Monday the postponement of all vacations and permits for its members, "in order to mobilize all police personnel, with the aim of guaranteeing the optimal security of the population and responding to any eventuality".
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The institution warned that it will continue its offensive in Croix-des-Bouquets, north of Port-au-Prince, against the armed group 400 Mawozo, led by Lanmò Sanjou (Death Without Day). The Police have searched several spaces used as hideouts by the bandits, several of whom have been shot or have abandoned the areas they occupied. The Director General of Police, Vladimir Paraison, has intensified in recent days his visits to the headquarters of the main units involved in operations against gangs, which control around 90% of Port-au-Prince, in order to express his "gratitude for the courage and commitment of the police in the relentless battles to restore order and enforce the law". 'Barbecue', for whom the United States offers a reward of five million dollars, asked the population on Sunday not to leave their homes starting this Monday to allow the gangs to confront the Police and "avoid becoming victims." "The time has come, Haitian people, to unite to liberate this country," he affirmed. More than 16,000 people have died due to gang violence in Haiti since the beginning of 2022, and more than 4,000 of those homicides occurred in the first half of this year, according to official information. The GSF is a body approved on September 30th by the UN Security Council, which has already carried out its first operations in the country and will have a maximum of 5,500 police or military personnel, assisted by 50 civilians, with an initial mandate of 12 months.
