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Jakarta –
Criminal gangs attack the main prison in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. As a result of the attack, dozens of people were reported killed and thousands of prisoners escaped.
“We are counting the bodies of many detainees,” National Network for the Defense of Human Rights, Pierre Esperance, was quoted as saying AFPMonday (4/3/2024).
Pierre Esperance added that only about 100 people out of an estimated 3,800 inmates at the National Penitentiary remained in custody after the gang attack on Saturday night.
Haiti has been poverty-stricken for decades due to poverty, violence, political instability and recurring natural disasters, but the country was plunged further into chaos with the assassination of president Jovenel Moise in 2021.
Powerful, well-armed gangs run rampant and control much of Port-au-Prince.
Dozens of Bodies Due to Prison Attacks
A reporter AFP who visited the main prison on Sunday observed about a dozen bodies outside the prison. Some suffered injuries from bullets or other projectiles.
The reporter entered the prison itself — the gates were open — and saw “almost no one” left inside.
In a statement, the Haitian government said police were trying to repel gang attacks on the prison and another facility called Croix des Bouquets.
It said these attacks left “several people injured” including prison staff and inmates. Esperance said it was unclear how many inmates escaped from the second prison.
It is known that gangs aiming to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry have been causing chaos in Port-au-Prince since Thursday.
Henry was in Kenya on Friday to try to drum up support for an international police support mission, which Nairobi has agreed to lead.
(zap/maa)
