Haiti : The Bank « BRH » in the crosshairs of gangs
The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) is one of the few institutions that have not fled the downtown area where several armed gangs are active. A group of « bandits » attacked its premises on Monday, said a source within the BRH who preferred to remain anonymous.
« Our security personnel, along with the police and the army, repelled the attack. Between three and four bandits were killed »,she said. One of the BRH security agents was injured by gunfire, she added. The Bank, for its part, said on Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter) that it was « deeply grateful to our agents and the national police for their vigilance and constant commitment to protecting our community ». « Faced with an incident that occurred yesterday near the BRH premises (…), law enforcement and the institution’s security team reacted with professionalism and efficiency », it said.
Haiti, which was already experiencing a deep political and security crisis, has been experiencing a resurgence of violence since the beginning of the month, when several gangs joined forces to attack strategic locations in Port-au-Prince as part of a struggle against Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Highly contested, the latter could not return to his country after a trip to Kenya. He announced his resignation on March 11, stating that his government would manage current affairs until the establishment of a transitional presidential council.
Haitians have been waiting for the formation of these transitional authorities ever since. On Monday, according to a photojournalist, 14 lifeless bodies were found in an affluent suburb of Port-au-Prince where gang members carried out attacks at dawn.
