December 22, 2024
On Sunday, December 15, 2024, the Haitian National Police (HNP) announced it had neutralized Kendy, known as “Jeff Mafia,” identified as the right-hand man of Jimmy Cherisier, alias “Barbecue.” Barbecue leads the feared armed coalition “Viv Ansanm,” which controls a significant portion of Port-au-Prince. According to Lionel Lazarre, the HNP deputy spokesperson, Kendy was killed in the Fort-National neighborhood while planning an incursion into the area with his accomplices. Several other members of the coalition were also killed during this intense operation.
This police intervention comes amid unprecedented violence in Port-au-Prince. Gangs, controlling nearly 80% of the urban territory, have unleashed terror through massacres, arson, and targeted attacks on civilians. A week before, over 200 people lost their lives in two brutal massacres, deepening the despair of a population left to fend for itself. The Fort-National area and its surroundings have been particularly affected by waves of heavy gunfire, forcing families to flee amid relentless criminal attacks.
The chaos has also spread to the Poste-Marchand and Poupelard neighborhoods, where residents endured hours of terror over the weekend. On Saturday night, armed gangs attacked civilians, causing widespread panic. Sporadic gunfire continued into Sunday morning, as columns of smoke rose from burning homes. Amid this warlike atmosphere, desperate calls for help have gone out to the authorities, but no concrete action has been reported to curb the violence.
One of the most striking recent incidents involved members of “Viv Ansanm” setting fire to the Church of God in Poste-Marchand and several nearby homes. These attacks resulted in multiple gunshot injuries and forced dozens of residents to flee their homes. In response to these repeated assaults, de facto Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé announced measures against the gangs. However, these statements have yielded no tangible results, intensifying the frustration of a population that sees no meaningful change.
The elimination of Kendy is a symbolic blow to Barbecue’s gang, but significant challenges remain. Gangs continue to expand their control, leaving the residents of the capital increasingly abandoned to their fate.