Port-au-Prince, 11 March, 2024 / 8:10 pm (ACI Africa).
The archbishop of Port-au-Prince and president of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference, Max Leroy Mésidor, shared his perspective on the difficult situation facing his country and the pastoral work of the Church in the midst of violence, kidnappings, and chaos.
“Yes, there is a real danger of civil war breaking out in the country. The armed gangs act like an organized army. They are very well equipped and very well armed. The police cannot keep up with them,” Mésidor told Aid to the Church in Need in a March 6 interview.
The archbishop noted that in some regions, even his own, “there are groups of citizens who try to stand up to the gangs. So there are often clashes between these groups and the gangs, and also between the police and the gangs.”
Haiti, a nation that has struggled with instability for years, is now facing what some describe as a “low-intensity civil war.” On March 3, the Haitian government declared a 72-hour state of emergency after armed gangs stormed the national prison in Port-au-Prince.
The violence has spread throughout the country, especially in the administrative districts of Ouest, Centre, and Artibonite. The prelate pointed out that “there are no safe areas” since “gangs operate almost everywhere, making it extremely difficult to move, especially outside the capital.”
