As things stand now, the Republic of Haiti has no one in charge, or it seems that those in charge live in Washington, Paris, Ottawa and to a lesser extent in Santo Domingo. De facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry and his government are basically in charge of only the spaces occupied by they and their staff, and sometimes not even since they have to listen to orders from those concerned. As the never ending gasoline crisis is showing, this government is powerless, and shows it when its ministers make all kind of declarations to the population about gasoline, security and anything to do with their jobs when the reality in the street screams the contrary. Because of this lack of efforts and absence of basic results from key institutions ranging from the police, health care, and justice all the way to garbage removal, anarchy has become the rule. A worrisome example, when de facto Minister of the Interior, also minister of justice, also alleged master mind kidnapper, Quitel decided to show the population that the terminal in Varreux, where most of the gasoline available in the country is stocked, was accessible; he had to run away under a hail of high caliber bullets for daring to defy the gangs who controlled the area. The minister turned alleged kidnapper looked ridiculous wearing a combat helmet, running away with his tail between his legs, and the gangs flexed their muscles once more. Curiously enough, a few days later the U.S. Embassy sent a tanker to the same terminal to refill their on site gasoline reservoirs. As usual the tanker filled up and returned to the Embassy, while not a shot was fired to disturb the transaction. Some Haitian officials took advantage of that to get a full tank and fill some barrels.
There is more to the kidnapping saga involving missionaries from the United States and their family, along with a citizen of Canada than what is commonly perceived. First, by now pressure has shifted from the victims to the kidnappers. Let me explain. The gang called 400 Mawozo which has kidnapped the 17 foreigners has a big problem, none of the victims can die in captivity, while they must be fed and cared for during that time. For this to work, things had to have ended quickly, with the gang getting paid after negotiations, and the hostages home, or on their way to their respective families. But the situation has dragged along, and now Mawozo is under pressure to feed and care for hostages who cannot be treated like they treat Haitians because foreigners will get sick if not cared for. If anything bad happens to the hostages Mawozo knows they will pay for it dearly, and whoever implanted the idea in their heads, most likely the same persons who provide them with weapons and ammunition has told them to make sure nothing happens to the hostages. The U.S. does not seem to be in a rush to conclude the saga, either by direct military intervention, which would seem logical and relatively facile against untrained gang bangers, used to fighting untrained foes, or by a payoff through a third party. At first there were a lot of rumors about a payoff after reducing the demands significantly, and I even thought this would happen. But as time has dragged too many questions are left unanswered. No one seems to be worried about the fate of the hostages, and the Embassy has remained silent, or has said little, while usually it tends to speak volumes.
If any of the missionaries or their family is hurt, or dies while in the hands of Mawozo, retribution will be quick and painful. Threats of harm to them is met with laughter by those concerned because if you harm those in service of the Lord you will pay for it dearly. There is nowhere to hide, and retribution will be very painful for the Lord does not take kindly to persons hurting those who serve his interest. Mawozo needs to conclude this affair before it entraps them and spirals out of control. It’s costing the group money to care for their “guests”, while their own members are not eating steak and lobster everyday.
Second, for remember I did bring a first point, the Mawozo gang operates in the area between the capital Port-au-Prince and the border with the Dominican Republic. Is it possible that they get their guns and ammunition from sources in the Dominican Republic? Mawozo is not allied to the G9, so they don’t work with or for persons associated with the government like the groups federated with the blessings of the UN. Magalie Habitant and those concerned do not have a role or any sway over the group. So they must have other sponsors who provide them with ammunition, most likely from the other side of the border. For sure Dominicans do not need to go through Miami to give guns and ammo to Mawozo in Haiti, so the recent story on social media about the group receiving supplies from Miami sounds strange. This story is not over because there seems to be a rift developing between Washington and Santo Domingo.
Presently, the whole situation weakens the government of Ariel Henry, and it can be the trigger for a military intervention to take control of the country, like it was back in 2004. Many signs are pointing to that, as the Dominican Army has set up all along the border, but in the U.S. the political situation does not favor such an action. If a military intervention causes a lot of collateral casualties and damages to buildings and people’s homes, this could inflame the Haitian communities in Miami, New York and other cities, and cause the people to demonstrate and raise hell. Like the domino effect, this would cause African-Americans to also hit the pavement for the lack of economic opportunities and wholesale jailing of its youth. So President Joe Biden must tread lightly, and he cannot just take over Haiti’s government overtly, even though Ariel and his minions follow orders.
With no gas, no water, anarchy and the gang fight in Martissant between two powerful gangs, Haiti is slowly sinking into oblivion. There must be a reaction from Haitians in Haiti and abroad to begin to put a stop to a situation that is worsening everyday. For now, the population appears to accept every hardship with resignation and acceptance, but I will not bet against a sudden eruption that will come after some innocuous event becomes the trigger for a massive arising that will bring huge destruction. There is no leadership and most of the population has lost trust in most of the political operators, while many militants have been killed or silenced by the G9. So called revolutionary groups who are blocking people from mobilizing, and killing the people who use to lead them. Persons are not going to starve without a reaction soon. Stay tuned.
Dèyè Mon 