Jimmy Cherizier, popularly known as ‘Barbecue’ has warned that any foreign forces seeking to enter Haiti will be treated as invaders.

Speaking in an interview with the Sky News, Barbecue said his side will not collaborate with the Kenyan police if they are deployed.

The gang leader expressed his fears that the Kenyan police would commit a “massacre” if allowed to operate in the country, a situation he notes would not be allowed under his watch.

In the interview recorded in the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital- Barbecue noted that the Kenyan government is likely to follow the advice of oligarchs and politicians in the country whom he accused of failing to prioritize the interests of Haitians.

“If the Kenyans come, they are going to commit a massacre on the poor people, because the oligarchs and the politicians will tell them where to go and they are going to enter the poor communities in the pretext that they want to eliminate gangs and criminals to commit massacre. We at this moment who have weapons are not going to allow this,” he said.

When asked if his side was ready for talks and resolution of the conflict, the leader said he was ready for a dialogue and even a ceasefire to solve the current crisis facing the country.

Barbecue gives condition for a ceasefire

However, according to him, a decision for a ceasefire would only be reached on condition that the interests of the people of Haiti will be on the table.

He went on to state that challenges including corruption and the gap between the rich and the poor are some of the issues his side has been pushing to address and faulted the political class for failing to address the challenges.

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“We believe in dialogue; we are for dialogue. But this political class that is here is not ready for dialogue. The reason is that they do not carry Haiti around in their hearts like we do,” he said in the interview.

“The political class say they are excluding bandits, but this is their way to revive the system that has reached its end. The divide between the rich and the poor is too wide. In the whole world, there is a divide between the poor and the rich but the way it is done here in Haiti is indecent. We are ready for a solution as long as the Haitians are on the table.”

Haiti situation worsens

The interview came at a time the planned Kenyan-led mission in Haiti was shrouded in uncertainties even as thousands of people in the country continued to suffer the excruciating impact of the unrest caused by gang activities. 

Also Read: Ex-US Envoy Reveals a Miscalculation Ruto Made on Haiti Mission

According to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Office, more than 1,500 people have been killed in gang violence in Haiti in 2024 alone. The UN office in the report released on Thursday, March 28, called for an end to the impasse between the gangs on one side and the international community.

The planned deployment of troops appeared to be on course until the country’s Prime Minister Arial Henry was forced to resign after the gangs took over control of key facilities in the country including the airport, barring him from returning from his trip in Kenya where he had signed a deal to formalize the deployment.

However, the United States (US) government and the Kenyan government have all assured that deployment will take place eventually despite the initial setbacks.