A state of emergency was declared in the western part of Haiti early today (yesterday Sunday afternoon local time), after a series of bloody incidents in the capital and the mass escape of thousands of prisoners, even from the country’s largest prison, Pénitencier National, in the capital Port -the-Prince.

The escape of thousands of inmates followed raids by heavily armed thugs on two prisons, as the leader of an alliance of gangs has since last Thursday stepped up his bid to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henri.

In its bid to regain control and restore order, the government announced a night-time curfew, effective immediately, for a “period of 72 hours” – which is “renewable”, according to its statement – from “6:00 p.m. to 05:00” until Wednesday, March 6.

Only law enforcement, firefighters, ambulance crews and credentialed journalists are exempt from the ban, according to the statement.

The move follows a dramatic escalation of violence over the past 24 hours, with the capital paralyzed, communications cut and two mass prison escapes.

The “brain” of escapes and images of chaos in the country

At least ten people were killed during the mass exodus in Penitentiary National.

“We counted many bodies of prisoners,” Pierre Esperance, executive director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (Réseau national de défense des droits humains, RNDDH), told the agency, explaining that only about a hundred prisoners remained in the prison yesterday Sunday, of the approximately 3,800 who were incarcerated there before the raid by heavily armed thugs.

An AFP journalist who went to the scene yesterday morning saw at least ten bodies around the prison. Some of the victims had obvious bullet wounds, the reporter noted.

Haiti

The government denounced the raids by “heavily armed criminals who wanted at all costs to free prisoners, mainly for kidnapping, murder and other serious crimes” and “did not hesitate to execute citizens, set fire to and loot private and public property”.

It remains unclear at this stage how many inmates were able to escape from the Croix de Bouquet prison, noted Pierre Esperance. About 1,450 people were held at the detention center before the attack, he estimated.Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, remains mired in a serious political, humanitarian and security crisis that intensified after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Armed gangs have taken control of much of the territory.

Since Thursday, gangs have been attacking strategic locations as part of a “coordinated” operation to topple Prime Minister Henri.

Behind the bloody riots is the head gang alliance Jimmy Sergier, or “Barbecue”a former police officer under UN and US sanctions.

In power from 2021, Henri would theoretically relinquish power on February 7 under a deal struck in December 2022. But he announced he would stay in power, arguing that security must be restored so that free and fair elections can take place. fair elections.

The police will “pursue” the fugitives, “arrest” the criminals and “their accomplices”, the government assured yesterday.

Haiti

On Friday, Kenya and Haiti signed a bilateral agreement to send Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean country as part of an international mission that has been given the go-ahead by the UN.

During a visit to Nairobi, Prime Minister Henry discussed with Kenyan President William Ruto “accelerating the development” of this international armed force, but the timetable remains unclear.

Kenya’s parliament approved the mission, which had been blocked by a judge ruling that it was unconstitutional, in late January.