THIS is the moment commandos armed with a killdozer launched a dramatic dawn raid on the headquarters of Haiti’s most notorious gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier.
But Barbecue once again slipped through their grasp, leaving security forces scrambling in the Baz Delmas neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.
A killdozer is seen ploughing through the streets of Port-au-Prince in a dramatic raidx/MSSMHaiti
Piles of debris and fire are now a common scene across Haiti’s capitalx/MSSMHaiti
ReutersJimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier leads Haiti’s capital’s most dangerous coalitions of gangs[/caption]
Footage of Sunday’s raid showed massive armoured bulldozers ploughing through mounts of rubble and blazing homes along the streets of the Haitian capital.
The mission involved men from the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) and the Haitian National Police (HNP).
The target was a heavily fortified stronghold controlled by Barbecue, the leader of the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies — a coalition of 12 gangs that dominate much of the Haitian capital.
Commandos deployed armoured vehicles, including a bulldozer outfitted for combat, to breach the gang’s defences.
Drones reportedly tracked Barbecue and several of his militia fleeing the scene, abandoning vehicles, weapons, and the excavator used to protect their base, according to Nation Africa.
His residence was flattened during the assault, but the gang leader remains at large.
Sunday’s operation marked the latest effort by the MSSM, aided by 400 Kenyan police officers, to assert control in a nation overwhelmed by gang violence.
In a statement, MSSM reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling gang networks and creating a safe environment for Haiti’s long-awaited general elections.
“We will not relent until these perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice,” the statement read.
x/MSSMHaitiKenyan and Haitian troops preparing for the dawn raid[/caption]
x/MSSMHaitiMilitary vehicles were seen preparing to leave for the mission in Port-au-Prince[/caption]
x/MSSMHaitiThe forces were seen driving through the streets of the Haitian capital, alongside police cars[/caption]
Kenyan forces, supported by Haitian police, have conducted several high-profile raids in the Delmas area in recent weeks.
Despite these efforts, Barbecue remains an elusive figure, leveraging his extensive network and local influence to evade capture.
HAITI’S SPIRALLING CRISIS
Haiti capital has been descending into an all-out civil war and at the eye of the storm is a former cop who goes by “Barbecue”.
Jimmy Chérizier, the most powerful gang boss in the disaster-struck city of Port-au-Prince, took to the streets with a new vengeance and a plan to overthrow the government.
The fired cop-turned-warlord is head of the city’s most fearsome gang coalition, known as the “Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies” – or G9 for short.
It contains a collection of at least a dozen of the 200 merciless gangs that control up to 90 per cent of the city.
Together with his gun-touting loyal fighters, Barbecue has for years helped tear the city apart, inflicting terror, sexual violence, torture and lawlessness.
ReutersA Kenyan police officer walks in front of an armoured personnel carrier during a joint operation with Haitian police in July[/caption]
AFPPeople walk past burning tires, during a demonstration against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in August[/caption]
GettyResidents drive past a burning barricade in the Haitian capital last week[/caption]
ReutersMasked thugs are often seen roaming the streets carrying weapons such as machetes[/caption]
In March, he has ordered a new vicious wave of coordinated attacks inside Port-au-Prince that have caused unimaginable scenes of violence.
Haiti’s security situation has reached catastrophic levels, with gangs controlling over 80% of Port-au-Prince.
The violence has forced the evacuation of United Nations staff, foreign diplomats, and aid workers.
Key infrastructure, including airports and seaports, has been paralysed by gang roadblocks and sniper fire.
In recent weeks, the UN has transported evacuees out of the capital while continuing limited operations from safer areas.
Doctors Without Borders suspended its activities in Port-au-Prince, citing threats to staff and patients, while food distribution programs have been severely disrupted.
The scale of the violence is staggering.
Over 4,500 people have been killed this year, with more than 700,000 displaced, according to UN figures.
The crisis has also drawn in Haiti’s children, with a 70% increase in their recruitment by armed groups over the past year, according to UNICEF.
It comes as French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire from a member of Haiti’s interim presidential council for referring to Haiti’s officials as “total morons” in a video.
Edgard Leblanc Fils, the council’s former president, said on Sunday that Macron’s comments insulted an entire nation “facing difficult times.”
Macron made the comments earlier this month at the G20 gathering in Brazil, where he chastised the council for dismissing Prime Minister Garry Conille after only six months in office.
“They’re total morons,” Macron said, referring to the council.
“They should never have dismissed him.”
Alix Didier Fils-Aimé was named prime minister by the council when Conille was removed.
Macron “did not hesitate to interfere in Haitian affairs, expressing support for Prime Minister Conille and calling him remarkable,” Leblanc said.
Who is Barbecue?
JIMMY “Barbecue” Chérizier is a notorious gang leader in Haiti and one of the most powerful figures in the country’s current crisis.
A former police officer, Chérizier is the head of the G9 Family and Allies gang federation, which controls significant portions of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
His nickname, “Barbecue,” reportedly stems either from his family’s occupation as street food vendors or from allegations that he burned houses during gang attacks.
Chérizier served as a police officer in Haiti’s National Police but was dismissed after being implicated in violent acts, including massacres in the capital.
Human rights organisations have linked him to several atrocities, such as the 2018 La Saline massacre, in which dozens of civilians were killed, many in brutal ways.
Chérizier transitioned from policing to gang leadership, consolidating power by uniting multiple gangs under the G9 Family and Allies umbrella in 2020.
This coalition increased his influence, giving him control over key neighbourhoods, infrastructure, and routes in Port-au-Prince.
His gang federation is accused of extortion, kidnappings, blockades, and violent reprisals against rivals and civilians.
Chérizier positions himself as a populist figure and has sometimes framed his actions as resistance to Haiti’s elite and political corruption.
He has called for a revolution to address inequality and improve conditions for Haiti’s poor.
But many view these statements as attempts to legitimise his criminal activities.
The G9 and other gangs have contributed significantly to Haiti’s instability, exacerbating humanitarian crises by blocking roads, controlling fuel supplies, and displacing thousands of people.
The violence has paralysed many aspects of daily life, including access to food, water, and healthcare.
Chérizier is under international sanctions, including from the United Nations and the United States, for his involvement in human rights abuses and criminal activities.
Despite these measures, he remains a dominant figure due to weak law enforcement and political instability in Haiti.