There were reports of a deadly shootout in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Wednesday, in which at least five agents of the country’s BSAP, an armed environmental agency that has turned into a paramilitary group, were killed. The police trade union confirmed the incident to the media. Haiti’s national police did not provide additional details or confirm if there were any police casualties as well.
The shootout occurred amidst ongoing protests across Haiti in the lead-up to the expected resignation of unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry on February 7. The date is traditionally when Haitian presidents are sworn into office. Former coup leader Guy Philippe, who returned to Haiti last year after serving time in a U.S. prison, had been rallying supporters against Henry’s government in recent weeks.
The head of the BSAP, as reported by local media AyiboPost, stated that many of its members are former soldiers who fought alongside Philippe during the ousting of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004. Last week, Henry called for BSAP members to register with the country’s environmental ministry, marking a potential crackdown on the agency which was once closely associated with Philippe.
Despite an accord he signed in December 2022 to step down by February 7, 2024, Henry has since stated that security conditions need to be established first to hold free and fair elections. He is expected to address the nation regarding the recent events later on Wednesday. The situation in Haiti is compounded by the ongoing battle between the police and heavily-armed gangs, leading to a humanitarian crisis that has caused hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in search of safety.
(Reporting by Harold Isaac and Steven Aristil in Port-au-Prince; Writing by Sarah Morland and Kylie Madry; Editing by Leslie Adlerby)
