Haiti gang leader Jimmy Chérizier has issued a stern warning to Kenyan police as the East African nation prepares to deploy 1000 of them to assist in restoring order in the Caribbean country.
Chérizier, a former police officer widely recognized by his alias “Barbecue,” has made it clear that he will vehemently resist any foreign intervention aimed at propping up Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Jimmy Chérizier, the most influential gang leader in the country, has indicated that he would welcome the presence of a foreign force if its mission were to arrest the prime minister and individuals he accuses of corruption, along with local police allegedly involved in illicit arms dealings within Haiti’s slums.
He stated, “If the foreign force comes to help and provide security for life to start over again, we will also applaud.”
Prime Minister Henry has been leading Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 and has been advocating for the deployment of an international armed force to combat the powerful gangs that are believed to now control a significant portion of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
According to Chérizier, he and his armed associates would fiercely resist any foreign military presence in the Caribbean country if it engaged in any form of abuse.
ALSO READ: President Ruto: We must not fail the people of Haiti
He asserted that Haitians would rise up if an international force repeated the misconduct of previous UN peacekeepers, including allegations of sexual abuse and inadvertently introducing cholera into water sources.
“We will fight against them until our last breath,” Jimmy Chérizier declared. “It will be a struggle by the Haitian people to preserve the dignity of our nation.”
Some outspoken critics have accused the United States and other Western governments of employing Kenyan troops to advance “neo-colonial” and “imperialist” interests.
Certain commentators have suggested that Kenya’s involvement is aimed at garnering favour with the global superpower.
The United States has pledged substantial financial support for the mission, amounting to $100 million, with Canada also offering financial assistance.
