Haiti PM Safe After Gang Ambush Outside Hospital
Haiti’s Prime Minister Garry Conille narrowly escaped harm on Monday after gangs opened fire near a hospital he was visiting in Port-au-Prince, according to a government source who spoke with AFP.
Conille, who assumed office in June, was exiting the hospital in a gang-dominated area when automatic gunfire erupted, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Accompanied by Haitian police and members of a UN-backed Kenyan security force, Conille managed to flee the scene without injury.
Video footage from the incident shows police officers scrambling for cover as gunfire echoed through the streets. There has been no official word on any casualties resulting from the attack.
The hospital in question had been under gang control from late February until early July, when a police operation successfully reclaimed it. Currently, criminal gangs control approximately 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, subjecting residents to widespread violence, including murder, rape, and kidnappings for ransom.
In an international effort to stabilize Haiti, hundreds of Kenyan police officers have been deployed to the capital.
Conille has pledged to restore governmental authority amidst the ongoing political, social, and economic turmoil. He took office as part of an interim government following the resignation of his unpopular and unelected predecessor, Ariel Henry.
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Haiti PM Safe After Gang Ambush Outside Hospital
