Haiti: Several prisoners escape after gangs storm main jail in Port-au-Prince

An unknown number of prisoners have escaped after armed gangs stormed the main prison in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Saturday (Mar 2) evening, reported news agency AFP citing the French embassy and local media. This comes after the armed groups stormed Haiti’s largest prison and two of the country’s main police unions called for assistance on Saturday to stop inmates.

Prisoners escape from Haiti’s largest prison

Armed groups, on Saturday (Mar 2) evening stormed Haiti’s largest prison defying police forces days after a major gang leader called on criminal groups to unite and overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

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“This Saturday evening, bandits stormed the national penitentiary in Port-au-Prince and allowed a number of inmates to escape,” the French embassy said in a note sent to AFP.

It added, “Pending clarification of the situation, the embassy of France advises against all travel in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.”

According to Gazette Haiti, “a significant number of prisoners released” by the armed gangs are “important members of very powerful gangs.”

The prison in Port-au-Prince was holding several high-profile criminals including gang leaders and those charged with the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, reported Haitian daily Le Nouvelliste.

According to Le Nouvelliste, the prison was being “spied on” by the gangs from Thursday (Feb 29) before it was stormed on Saturday evening.

The police officers assigned to the prison reportedly vacated the premises on Saturday, reported local media AyiboPost.

The attack, on Saturday, came after reports that armed men had attempted to take control of the capital’s main container port and threatened to attack more of the city’s police stations.

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In recent days, heavy gunfire in Haiti has caused panic as Jimmy Cherizier, a former police officer turned gang leader who heads an alliance of gangs and faces sanctions from the United Nations and the United States called on criminal groups to unite.

Cherizier had warned locals to keep children from going to school to “avoid collateral damages” as violence continued.

Haiti’s biggest prison was built to hold 700 prisoners but held nearly 3,700 inmates as of February last year, according to the rights group RNDDH.

Police unions call for help

The Haitian National Police Union SNPH-17 in a post on X asked all police and military personnel with cars, weapons and ammunition to go to the prison as reinforcements.

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Two of Haiti’s main police unions had appealed for assistance to stop prisoners. “They need help,” said one of the unions representing Haitian police in a post on social media. It added, “Let’s mobilize the army and the police to prevent the bandits from breaking into the prison.”

Where is the PM?

Henry, who assumed power after the assassination of Haiti’s last president in 2021, was said to be in Kenya to salvage the proposed security mission in the country which would be led by that East African nation and backed by the UN.

The government has yet to comment on the situation that unfolded on Saturday.

(With inputs from agencies)