Haiti confronts gang dominance with police action and new governance plans

The authorities in Haiti announced on Saturday that the police have seized firearms and cleared roadblocks in the Port-au-Prince district, under the control of the gang leader known as Jimmy "Barbecue". Additionally, Haitian politicians have started to establish a Presidential Council.

**As Lionel Lazarre from the Haitian police union reported**, national police units made their way into the Delmas district on Friday evening to retake control and ensure security.

**Lazarre mentioned that several "bandits" were killed**. A subsequent police statement disclosed that officers exchanged fire with members of the Cherizier gang, confiscated firearms, and succeeded in clearing the roads.

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In recent times, Haitians have been anticipating the formation of a temporary governing body. Its mission is to bring stability back to this troubled country, which suffers from gang violence, isolation, and neglect.

It's important to mention that Haiti has a long and violent history of foreign interventions. These range from a 20-year American occupation in the early 20th century to a deadly cholera outbreak attributed to a UN peacekeeping mission in 2010.

The Haitian government announced a state of emergency in early March following an escalation in armed gang activity, which now controls a significant portion of the country. At that time, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry was in Nairobi, discussing with the UN the possibility of deploying a Kenyan military-police force to Haiti to aid in law enforcement.

**The US State Department revealed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had conversations with Kenyan President William Ruto about the crisis in Haiti**, which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people due to gang violence. Both concurred on the necessity of deploying an international mission to help restore peace in Haiti.