Haitian authorities say 28 alleged gang members killed by police, residents
Al Jazeera
Armed gangs attacked a wealthy suburb of the capital, police say, as part of an effort to bring down the government.
The Haitian National Police have reported that 28 alleged gang members were killed by state security forces and armed residents in the latest clashes in the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
A Tuesday attack targeting the upscale suburb of Petion-Ville overlooking the capital had been announced over social media by Jimmy Cherizier, a former elite police officer turned leader of the powerful gang coalition calling itself Viv Ansanm (Haitian Creole for “Living Together”).
The latest violence comes in the wake of the collapse of Haiti’s government last week and more than three years of constant turmoil following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
Cherizier has called for the resignation of the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) now leading the country. “The Viv Ansanm coalition will use all its means to achieve the departure of the CPT,” Cherizier said on Monday.
The police say that two vehicles carrying alleged gang members tried to enter Petion-Ville at 2am (08:00 GMT), with one blocking off the main road. In recent weeks, gangs have pushed into various previously safe districts to expand their control of the capital.
