Opposition to Ariel Henry’s leadership has been increasing as the elections he promised to hold have failed to materialise.
Moreover, insecurity has spiralled, forcing hundreds of thousands of Haitians to flee their homes.
One of the most outspoken rivals of Mr Henry is Jimmy Chérizier, a former police officer who became a gang leader after he was fired from the police force.
Also known by his nickname of Barbecue, the ex-cop leads G9, an alliance of nine gangs founded in 2020 which reportedly has links to late President Moïse’s Tèt Kale Party.
Barbecue has opposed Prime Minister Henry from the start.
The gang leader used Moïse’s assassination, which he blamed on the “stinking bourgeoisie”, to encourage his followers to engage in what he called “legitimate violence”.
Brutal attacks and looting spread, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where Barbecue has his power base.
In October 2021, Ariel Henry was prevented from laying a wreath at a monument, when heavily armed members of Jimmy Chérizier’s gang suddenly showed up and fired shots into the air.
Dressed in a pristine white suit and flanked by his men, the gang leader then proceeded to lay a wreath at the monument – an extraordinary show of force.
His G9 gang has also been fighting a bloody war with G-Pèp, a rival gang which is reportedly linked to the parties who opposed murdered President Moïse.
Shootouts and battles over territory between the two groups are common and have spilled over from the poorer neighbourhoods into the centre of Port-au-Prince.
Schools and hospitals have had to close and more than 100,000 people fled their homes in 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The International Committee of the Red Cross told the BBC its staff had to talk to hundreds of gangs in order to be able to deliver humanitarian aid.
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Publish date : 2024-03-03 11:00:00
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