Gangs in Haiti Try to Seize Port-au-Prince Airport

Facts

• Gunfire has been heard close to Haiti's main airport, Toussaint Louverture International, in Port-au-Prince, as security forces clashed with armed gangs that sought to take over the facility to prevent the return of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.¹
• According to a local law enforcement source, several dozen gunmen broke through the outer walls of the airport on Monday but were pushed back before entering its main buildings.²
• At least six police officers have reportedly been killed, with no information regarding casualties among attackers. While the airport was closed at the time of the assault, with no passengers in the facility, staff members had to shelter in place.³
• This comes hours after Haitian authorities declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a nighttime curfew following a massive prison break in two of the country's largest prisons over the weekend that freed thousands of inmates.⁴
• On Tuesday, the former police officer turned gang leader Jimmy 'Barbecue' Chérizier told reporters the country will head to civil war and genocide if Henry — reported to be in Puerto Rico — doesn't step down and the international community continues to support him.⁵
• The UN Security Council was expected to hold a private meeting on Wednesday, at the request of Ecuador and the US, to discuss the latest spate of gang violence in Haiti, as gangs, rebels and political leaders have joined forces to overthrow Henry.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²ABC News, ³Haiti Libre, ⁴France 24, ⁵Al Jazeera and ⁶The Haitian Times.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CNN. Armed bandits have orchestrated acts of violence and terror to cause chaos and panic in Haiti. Ruthless gangs control 80% of Port-au-Prince and are fighting to seize the rest to delay forming inclusive governance and restoring democracy in the country. The mass prison break and upsurge in violence underlines the need for the UN to deploy a multinational security force to bring peace to Haiti and eliminate the gang problem.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The New York Times. Deploying a multinational security force in Haiti would legitimize the unelected leaders of Port-au-Prince. Prime Minister Henry must immediately step down to allow a fresh, credible transitional government to emerge and create the conditions for free and fair elections. Until leaders unaffiliated with gangs form a functional government in Haiti, hope and stability will continue to elude an impoverished nation.

Predictions