Haitian Gang Leader Vows to Fight Kenyan Police to the Death

Haiti’s most dreaded gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, has declared his intent to fight Kenyan police officers deployed in the Caribbean nation to the death. In a viral video shared on Wednesday, June 26, Cherizier rallied his gang members, urging them to fire on the Kenyan contingent manning the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.

Barbecue called the Kenyan police invaders and expressed his willingness to die for the liberation of Haiti. "I don't care if they are white or black. If they're not Haitian and they're on Haitian soil, they're invaders," Cherizier stated. He also clarified recent remarks calling for peace talks following the arrival of multinational peacekeepers, insisting that his call for dialogue should not be seen as a surrender. "It's a bloodbath. It's a fight for the country, and I will fight for it even if I die. I am sure there will be successors who will continue this fight," Barbecue said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

The gang leader's sentiments come a day after Haiti's Prime Minister Garry Conille urged him to lay down his arms if he wanted to hold talks with the government. During a press briefing, Conille insisted that dialogue could only take place if Cherizier stopped engaging in illegal activities. “Lay down your arms, recognize the authority of the State before any other arrangement," Conille told Barbecue.

Cherizier, who leads the Viv Ansanm Coalition, has previously warned that the country will not know peace as long as his team is excluded from the negotiating table. His defiant stance and threats underscore the ongoing tension and violence in Haiti, complicating efforts to restore stability in the nation.