The head of Haiti’s gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, popularly known as “Barbecue”, now says he will order a ceasefire if included in peace talks.
Speaking to Sky News on Friday, March 29, the gang leader noted that he does not fully trust the negotiation talks organized by the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).
“If the international community comes with a detailed plan where we can sit together and talk, but they do not impose on us what we should decide, I think that the weapons could be lowered,” Barbecue added.
He maintained that he had a lot of respect for CARICOM but was also thought “the process as unrepresentative of the needs of the ordinary people and a smokescreen to allow corrupt politicians and what he calls corrupt oligarchs to continue running the country.”
Barbecue stated that gangs running the Caribbean country were not out to kill people but only seeking to liberate the citizens from corrupt leadership.
“We don’t believe in killing people and massacring people, we believe in dialogue, we have weapons in our hand and it’s with the weapons that we must liberate this country,” he was quoted as saying.
He contradicted reports of a calmer Haiti ahead of peace talks, saying it was just a technical pause.
“There is nothing calm, but when you’re fighting you have to know when to advance and when to retreat.
“I think every day that passes we are coming up with a new strategy so we can advance, but there’s nothing calm. In the days that are coming things will get worse than they are now,” Barbecue added.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto reiterated that Kenya’s mission to Haiti will continue as planned. Last month, Ruto held talks with U.S Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the same.
After deliberations, Ruto announced that the deployment of 1,000 National Police Service (NPS) officers to Haiti would kick off once elections took place.
The process however is facing severe criticism from Kenyans as gang leaders threaten fresh war.
Dr Ekuru Aukot, Thirdway Alliance party leader, told The Guardian that it was unfair for the President to authorise deployment of police officers yet the country was facing serious security threats.
“We have to balance interests: is this a luxury we can afford? Why are we going to put out a fire elsewhere when our house is on fire?” he posed.
