PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Haitians anxiously awaited the naming of an interim governing body on Friday that they hope will begin to restore stability to a country wracked by sectarian violence.
But attacks continued overnight, targeting Port-au-Prince airport and the home of a senior police official. Residents in both locations have set up barricades to thwart criminal organizations, according to media reports.
Haitians and their supporters abroad hope an interim body to fill the void left by the departure of Prime Minister Ariel Henry will help quell the violence that has left 80 percent of the capital under gang control.
The flare-up comes after several days of relative calm in a country that has been plagued by shootings, kidnappings and sexual violence in recent years.
In addition to road closures on major roads leading to the center of the capital, a shooting near the airport injured a police officer on Thursday. Police reported that the house of a senior police commander was also looted and set on fire.
The prime minister’s office said the overnight curfew was extended until Sunday in western provinces, including Port-au-Prince, to “bring the situation under control.” The state of emergency is scheduled to end on April 3.
According to residents of Port-au-Prince there are a lot of fugitives on the streets. The situation is steadily deteriorating. The decision to impose a month-long curfew is to be applauded, but it should not have been necessary, they said.
The Haitian Medical Association on Thursday expressed its surprise at the forced closure of hospitals and acts of physical violence against care workers, underscoring the impact of the crisis on ordinary Haitians.
Henry, whose term ended due to escalating gang violence, announced Monday that he will step down after a transition council is formed.
