The Multinational Security Support (MSS) team, in collaboration with the Haitian National Police (HNP), has issued a stern warning to gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier and his group, urging them to surrender immediately.
The MSS team announced sustained operations targeting gang strongholds across Port-au-Prince as part of efforts to restore stability in the area.
“The MSS issues a stern warning to gang leaders: surrender now or face the inevitable force that will strike them sooner than anticipated,” read a statement from the team.
On Monday, the MSS and HNP teams confronted Cherizier and approximately 30 gang members during an operation.
“They were attempting to advance in two groups of about 15 members each, targeting Delmas two and six,” the MSS noted.
The MSS reported that their teams responded swiftly with proportionate firepower, forcing the gang members to retreat in disarray.
They added that several casualties were recorded among the gang members, with some refusing orders from their leader to confront the determined MSS/PNH teams.
In ongoing efforts to secure the region, the MSS and HNP continued day-and-night patrols in key areas, including Carrefour Paye, Route Coloniale, Bois Dutrejette, Fosse Cheval, Villard, Lestere, and Liancourt.
A significant milestone was achieved when the commissioner of Gonaives and his convoy, escorted by MSS and HNP teams, reopened the abandoned Liancourt police station. Gang aggression had forced its closure, but its reopening was celebrated by local residents, who expressed their gratitude to the teams.
Residents joined forces to clean up the area and restore the police station’s surroundings, marking the event with jubilation as the Police Commissioner officially reopened the facility.
Haiti continues to face escalating gang violence amid political instability. Kenyan police, alongside officers from Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize, are part of the multinational team deployed to assist Haiti in combating gangs.
Haitian leaders have requested further international support. On November 13, the Organization of American States’ Permanent Council adopted a resolution titled “In Support of Haiti’s Request for a United States Peacekeeping Operation.”
Meanwhile, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé on Monday launched a major initiative to support displaced persons in Port-au-Prince. Backed by the Inter-American Development Bank, the program aims to address the urgent needs of thousands of individuals forced to flee their homes due to escalating violence.
