December 23, 2024
On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, three SWAT officers from the Haitian National Police (HNP) were injured during an operation aimed at reclaiming the Bel-Air and Solino neighborhoods, which have been overrun by armed gangs. Despite the severity of the security situation, this offensive, personally overseen by Prime Minister Garry Conille, highlights the slow response of his government in effectively addressing the endemic insecurity plaguing the country.
Since the beginning of the year, sporadic actions by the HNP against gangs have failed to stop the violence spreading through the capital. In March, four police officers were killed and five others injured in similar clashes. More recently, on June 9, three officers from the Temporary Anti-Gang Unit (UTAG) were shot dead in Delmas 18, an area controlled by the notorious gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, also known as Barbecue. These tragic events underscore the inadequacy of the government’s efforts to protect the population.
On Tuesday morning, Garry Conille, in his capacity as head of the Superior Council of the National Police, visited the HNP Operations Center to oversee the ongoing offensive. However, despite his presence on the ground, the effectiveness of the measures implemented remains questionable. The operation, supported by Kenyan officers from the Multinational Mission, was marked by violent clashes that resulted in the injuries of the three police officers. The HNP has reassured the public that the officers are in stable condition and has promised to provide a full report on the actions in the coming days.
These operations, although necessary, highlight the shortcomings of a government that seems to be constantly reacting too late to security emergencies. Garry Conille’s speeches of support and encouragement, delivered during the meeting following the operation, may not be enough to calm the growing concern among law enforcement and the public. While the current political transition had placed security as a top priority, results have been slow to materialize, allowing gangs to continue spreading terror in the streets of Port-au-Prince.
“I am pleased to participate this evening in the meeting at the Police Emergency Operations Center, with the leadership of the PNH, the Armed Forces of Haiti (FADH), and the head of the Kenyan mission, to discuss the results and assess the operations carried out on the ground, as well as to hear updates on the injured officers. I encourage the commander to continue going ‘house by house…’ I thank the police officers, on behalf of the population, for their sacrifices. I assure you that the government will not abandon them. We will not back down,” Garry Conille wrote on his X account in the evening.
Haitian citizens, weary of the daily violence, are demanding decisive action rather than promises.