Concerns Rise Over Safety of BDF Soldiers in Haiti Amid Gang Leader’s Threats

With two of our BDF soldiers now in Haiti as part of the Kenyan security mission, and 24 security personnel from Jamaica, concerns have deepened after one of the infamous gang leaders have on record with SKY News that the intrusion by these military groups could cause more harm than good.  A walk through of one of the gang territories in Haiti was posted by SKY News some five months ago.  In that video, the journalist interviewed the gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, who was against the arrival of the security forces.

=“Jimmy Cherizier, universally referred to here as Barbecue is the head of one of the most powerful gangs in Port Au Prince. But he’s also the head of a gang consortium that’s brought Haiti to it’s knees. Well we’re right at the heart of Barbecue’s gang territory and I have to say the atmosphere here is very different to large parts of the rest of Port Au Prince. It’s much more chilled, much more relaxed. This aid distribution it’s not chaotic. What the sense you get from this is that people feel safe inside here. The battlefield is outside the barricades which is over there. Here this is much more like a normal town. Watched on by his well armed battle hardened soldiers Barbecue says plans for an international force led by Kenya to impose peace in Port Au Prince will lead to more violence whoever is in charge of it.” 

“The last time we met you said if foreign intervention was to happen here poor people would die in the fighting. There is talk of it being Kenyas coming, could you do business with them ?”

Barbecue: “I believe that just like I said if the Kenyans come first of all they will come to commit massacres in the poor communities because the oligarchs and the corrupt politicians are going to tell them where to go and they’re going to tell them to enter the poor communities on the pretext that they’re coming to eliminate gangs and bandits, to commit massacres. We at this moment who have weapons in our hands are not going to allow this. It’s evolving. If the Kenyan military or Kenyan police come whatever I will consider them as aggressors, We will consider them as invaders and we do not have to collaborate with any invaders that have come to walk over our independence.”