Reports indicate that threats from Haitian gangs led the and various foreign embassies to instruct their personnel to avoid the streets of Port-au-Prince, the capital, on Monday.
U.N. security services instructed staff to and limit movement within the West region, concurrently, Haiti’s National Police revoked all personnel leave indefinitely, as reported by The Miami Herald.
Mathias Gillmann, spokesperson for the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti, verified via email to Digital that employees were instructed to work remotely for the day.
In recent days, public threats from a prominent Haitian gang leader emerged on social media, coming after weekend security operations conducted by the Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti, and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a multinational mission sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council.
Jimmy Chérizier, commonly referred to as, shared a message Sunday through an independent Haitian media outlet, advising people to remain indoors on Nov. 17 to avoid “being a victim,” a concise translation of his statements.
“Those without a need to, should not venture into the streets. Cede the streets to ‘Viv Ansanm’ and the police so we can engage them,” “Barbecue” was quoted as saying, according to, an independent Haitian news website located in Port-au-Prince.
Viv Ansanm, a Haitian gang coalition, was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department in May.
The coalition originated in September 2023, stemming from an alliance between Port-au-Prince’s two primary gang factions, G-9 and G-Pép.
The GSF reported in an X post on Sunday that, in conjunction with specialized units of the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti, it conducted a security operation targeting the leadership and members of the 400 Mawozo gang, resulting in the fatalities of several gang members.
The operation on Friday led to the confiscation of numerous weapons, among them an M50-caliber Barrett rifle, six assault rifles, and three pistols, they stated.
A GSF statement asserted: ”This operation delivers a distinct and unambiguous message: the period of unchallenged gang control has concluded. Haiti’s security bodies are deploying all accessible assets; on land, at sea, , to re-establish peace, safeguard communities, and guarantee every Haitian can exercise their fundamental human rights free from fear of violence.’ It added, ‘Cooperative intelligence-led operations and ongoing security patrols will continue until these criminal organizations are conclusively vanquished.’
According to GSF, a Haitian National Police helicopter offering aerial support during the operation was compelled to perform an emergency landing owing to a mechanical fault.
The personnel aboard were evacuated by ground units, who encountered intense gang gunfire during the rescue effort.
U.S. Marines assigned to protect the American Embassy in Haiti engaged in a firefight with suspected gang members on Thursday. No service personnel sustained injuries during the event.