Violence in Haiti: American forces arrive for evacuations and security of the American embassy

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) The U.S. military said Sunday it has sent forces to beef up security at the U.S. embassy in Haiti and allow nonessential personnel to leave.

The plane flew to the embassy compound, U.S. Southern Command said, meaning the effort involved helicopters. She took care to specify that no Haitian was on board the military plane. It appeared aimed at refuting any speculation that senior government officials could leave as gang attacks worsen in Haiti.

The area around the embassy in the capital, Port-au-Prince, is largely controlled by gangs.

This airlift of personnel in and out of the embassy is consistent with our standard practices in strengthening embassy security worldwide, and no Haitians were on board the military aircraft, according to the Southcom press release.

In many cases, non-essential personnel may include the families of diplomats, but the embassy had already ordered the departure of non-essential personnel and all family members in July. Staff transported out of the embassy may simply have been replaced by new staff.

Sunday's statement said the United States remains focused on assisting Haitian police and arranging some sort of U.N.-authorized security deployment. But these efforts have so far failed.

Embattled Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry recently traveled to Kenya to push for the East African country's U.N.-backed deployment of a police force to combat the gangs. But a Kenyan court ruled in January that such a deployment would be unconstitutional.

Henry, who faces calls to resign or form a transition council, still cannot return home. He arrived in Puerto Rico on Tuesday after being unable to land in the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti.

On Saturday, Dominican President Luis Abinader's office released a statement saying Henry was not welcome in the Dominican Republic due to security concerns. The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, has closed its land border.

Given the current situation, the presence of the Haitian Prime Minister in the Dominican Republic is not considered appropriate, according to the press release, adding that this decision reflects the firm position of the Dominican government to safeguard its national security and stability.

The statement describes the security situation in Haiti as completely unsustainable and indicates that it poses a direct threat to the security and stability of the Dominican Republic.

The statement predicted that the situation could deteriorate further if a peacekeeping force is not urgently deployed to restore order.

Caribbean leaders called for an emergency meeting Monday in Jamaica over what they called a dire situation in Haiti. They invited the United States, France, Canada, the United Nations and Brazil to the meeting.

Members of the CARICOM regional trade bloc have been trying for months to get Haitian political actors to agree to form a transitional unity government.

CARICOM said Friday that while regional leaders remain deeply engaged in their attempts to bring together opposition parties and civil society groups to form a unity government, stakeholders are not yet where they should be be.

We are fully aware of the urgent need to reach consensus, according to the statement. We have made it clear to the parties concerned that time is not on their side to agree on the way forward. According to our reports, the situation on the ground remains dire and causes us great concern.

In February, Henry agreed to hold general elections by mid-2025, and the international community has been trying to find a foreign armed force willing to combat gang violence in that country.

CARICOM has also pushed Henry to announce a consensus, power-sharing government in the meantime, but the prime minister has yet to do so, even as Haitian opposition parties and civil society groups demand his resignation.

Henry, a neurosurgeon, was appointed Prime Minister of Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

It was not clear whether Henry would be in Jamaica for the CARICOM meeting.

Meanwhile, in Port-au-Prince, police and palace guards worked Saturday to retake some streets in the capital after gangs launched major attacks on at least three police stations.

National Palace guards accompanied by an armored truck attempted to establish a security perimeter around one of the city center's three train stations after police repelled a gang attack on Friday evening.

Sporadic shooting continued Saturday, and a woman writhed in pain on the sidewalk in downtown Port-au-Prince, suffering gunshot wounds after a stray bullet hit her in the leg.

Relentless gang attacks have paralyzed the country for more than a week and left it with dwindling stocks of basic goods. Haitian authorities extended a state of emergency and nighttime curfew on Thursday as gangs continued to attack key state institutions.

But average Haitians, many of whom have been forced from their homes because of bloody street fighting, cannot wait. The problem for police in securing government buildings is that many Haitians have flocked there seeking refuge.

We are the ones paying taxes and we need shelter, said one woman, who did not give her name for safety reasons.

Another Port-au-Prince resident, who also did not give his name, described Friday's attacks.

They (the gangs) came with big guns. We have no weapons and we cannot defend ourselves. All of us children are suffering, the man said.

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