Jimmy Chérizier, the Haitian top gang leader also known as "Barbecue," said he'd be willing to consider calling a ceasefire if his armed organization is included in the current talks aimed at lifting the country from its current state of collapse.
Speaking to the U.K.'s Sky News, "Barbecue," a former police officer, also warned that any foreign peacekeeping mission that could be deployed in the country would be considered an enemy and meet armed resistance.
Chérizier is perhaps the most high-profile gang leader in Haiti at a moment in which such organizations are believed to control about 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
So far there has been no response from the recently-formed transitional council tasked with overseeing a political transition. Following weeks of negotiations, the body issued its first statement this week, vowing to restore "public and democratic order."
"We are determined to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people, trapped for too long between bad governance, multi-faceted violence and disregard for their perspectives and needs," said the statement from the Presidential Council, which has yet to be officially installed.
Signed by eight of the nine members of the council, it said that -- once in place -- the body will appoint a prime minister who will assist in forming a government to "put Haiti back on the road to democratic legitimacy, stability and dignity."
Meanwhile, William O'Neill, an expert for the conflict-wracked Caribbean nation, said that between 4,000 and 5,000 police officers are needed to address gang violence, which is targeting important figures as well as vital institutions like hospitals, schools, and banks.
Speaking at a news conference, while launching a U.N. Human Rights Office report, he stressed on the urgent need for action to address the "cataclysmic" conditions in Haiti, where corruption, impunity and inadequate governance combined with escalating gang violence is impacting law severely, AP News reported.
The report presented by O'Neill includes data from the last five months until February. He showed that gangs continue to recruit and exploit both boys and girls, and that some children have been murdered for attempting to flee from their control.
Furthermore, gangs are using sexual violence "to brutalize, punish and control people," according to the report. It also highlighted instances of women being raped during gang assaults in communities, "in many cases after seeing their husbands killed in front of them."
The human rights report emphasized the urgent need for the deployment of a multinational security mission to support Haiti's police in stopping the violence and restoring the rule of law. Looking at the impact on civilians, it added that the airport closure has placed approximately 1.4 million Haitians at risk of famine.
Additionally, the number of individuals displaced from their homes has risen significantly from 50,000 to at least 362,000. "I would say given the last three to four weeks, we're probably close to 400,000 if not over that," the U.N. envoy said.
Haiti asked for international help to fight against the gangs in October 2022 and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for the same last July.
"We're still waiting and every day lost means more people die, and more women and girls get raped, and more people flee their homes," O'Neill said. "So, the sooner the better."
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