US, Caribbean community condemn plans by gangs, allies to overthrow Haiti government

The U.S. State Department and the Caribbean Community are condemning looming threats by a powerful gang coalition in Haiti to escalate violence against residents in an effort to overthrow the country’s transitional government.

“This is completely unacceptable,” the 15-member Caribbean Community regional bloc known as CARICOM said late Sunday, adding that the bloc “strongly condemns any attempt to replace the transitional arrangements by force and violence.”

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, in a statement soon after, said “the United States supports the statement by CARICOM condemning any actions to destabilize Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council,” and continues to “consult with governments across the region.”

Both statements came amid imminent threats to the ruling transition amid concerns gangs and their allies are plotting an overthrow. Over the weekend, panic and anxiety across Haiti were high as residents feared vulnerable communities were next to be targeted.

The nine-member council was formed a year ago to help restore security and return the country to democracy with elections. However, members have struggled amid the increasing attacks by gangs and their own governing challenges.

Amid the political turmoil, the powerful Viv Ansanm gang coalition has been launching simultaneous operations in multiple locations far away from gangs stronghold. Their latest takeover of the city of Mirebalais in central Haiti has raised panic and underscored that no area of the country is immune.

Since coming together under the coalitions, gangs have proven themselves to be more mobile and more coordinated, carrying out military-style ambushes far away from their strongholds .

On Saturday the head of Haiti’s ruling presidential council, Fritz Alphonse Jean, spoke with CARICOM’s chairwoman, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who then reached out to the State Department. Haiti is a member of the bloc, which has been increasingly concerned about the worsening violence that has displaced over 1 million people and the lack of financial support for the Kenya-led Security Support Mission to Haiti.

Looming threats about multiple armed attacks planned for the coming days had local authorities around the country sounding the alarm on Saturday. In the south, the region’s top police official, Daniel Compère, issued a letter to his boss in the capital asking for police reinforcements due to reports that former coup leader and convicted U.S. felon Guy Philippe was reportedly preparing an armed attack against the prison in the city of Les Cayes. Philippe later denied being involved in any planned attack against the city, which was battling heavy floods on Sunday.

In the center of the country, where armed gangs are now in control of the city of Mirebalais after storming the rural town late last month, authorities issued pleas for both the neighboring city of Hinche and the Péligre dam. The dam is the country’s largest producer of electricity.

Videos circulated by gang leaders on social media warned of a pending attack against Hinche. Another showed scared Haitians inside a church in the town of Mirebalais listening as the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang demanded they return to their homes. The attack in the rural town has left one journalist missing, and the 350-bed University Hospital of Mirebalais, a lifeline for the area, forced to evacuate all its staff and patients.

In a statement, Boston-based Partners In Health, which operates the hospital, said the violence is unacceptable.

“While these brutal attacks have forced us to pause services at [the hospital] due to the unacceptable risk they pose for our staff and patients, we will reopen the hospital as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Dr. Sheila Davis, CEO of Partners In Health. “No matter how daunting the challenges of this particular moment have seemed, our Haitian colleagues have never wavered or indulged in the luxury of pessimism, and I couldn’t be more proud to say that our organization will continue to stand with the people of Haiti today, tomorrow, and long into the future.”

Haitian police and the Kenya-led force have struggled to battle back gangs and to keep more territory from falling into their grasp. Since the beginning of the year, more cities and neighborhoods have fallen to gangs, which are now in control of up to 90% of the capital.

In a press note, deputy police spokesman Lionel Lazarre announced an investigation into an incident involving several Haitian police assigned to the Kenscoff area. Over Friday and Saturday the officers abandoned their posts along with their uniforms, vehicles and weapons after gang leaders reportedly sent women to trap them by luring them to two houses where they were spending the night.

The officers, members of specialized units assigned to patrol a sensitive area in Kenscoff, were later attacked by gang members while in the houses. Five officers were injured.

Gang members later boasted about their loot in a video circulating on social networks. They showed off bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and even the ID cards of the officers. Gangs also confiscated tear gas and grenades and identity documents belonging to the cops.

Lazarre said police are searching was on for a woman with connections to the gangs who was said to have been used to lure the men. The Inspector General of the Police has also opened an investigation into the officers’ behavior.

CARICOM said in its statement that “increased violence will simply hurt those who are least capable of protecting themselves. This too is completely unacceptable.”

The group urged ”the international community, including the United Nations and the Organization of American States, to take all necessary steps to support the Haitian authorities as they address this crisis.”