December 23, 2024
Jimmy Cherizier, aka BBQ, the leader of the coalition of gangs in Port-au-Prince called Viv Ansanm, is seen in a video asking Prime Minister Garry Conille for dialogue. In the video, BBQ states that PM Conille is not among those who have armed disadvantaged communities with guns and that he has a chance to pacify the country.
“To my knowledge, I have never heard once that an armed individual cites your name as a person who used to give weapons in the disadvantaged communities,” says Jimmy Cherizier in the video.
Cherizier goes on to offer his own advice to PM Conille, saying: “Don’t listen to traditional politicians who have put weapons in the country to destabilize prior governments, and who today want to put you ahead as a bridge to take up arms for them by force.”
Furthermore, he asks the Prime Minister to send him a clear signal by cleaning up certain neighborhoods, claiming that they [the gangs] just want change and if the change happens they will stay in their place. A lot of people consider this video as a sign of weakness from the gang leader.
While the publication date of this video is uncertain, the Prime Minister gave a press conference on the arrival of the first contingent of Kenyan soldiers from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, during which he said that the gangs must put down their weapons and recognize the authority of the State. The MSS Mission is to be numbered at one thousand, with countries such as the Bahamas, Belize, and Chad providing soldiers.
A day after the Kenyan soldiers arrived in Haiti (on June 25th), they were seen patrolling the streets of Port-au-Prince along with the Haitian National Police and the Haitian army. It is still unclear how the MSS will operate.