In Pictures

Five killed in clashes with police as protests rock Haiti

Protests have paralysed Haiti for a third consecutive day amid growing demands that Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign.

People stand near a car set ablaze by demonstrators — People stand near a car set ablaze by protesters in Port-au-Prince. [Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters]

By News Agencies

Five armed environmental protection agents were killed in clashes with police near Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as violent protests seeking the removal of Prime Minister Ariel Henry paralysed the country.

Haiti has been engulfed in unrest since Monday, with thousands of people in the city and the rest of the country demanding that Henry step down in line with a political agreement forged in 2022.

A police source said the five agents of the National Agency for Protected Areas (BSAP), an armed government bureau now in open rebellion, had been shot on Wednesday after refusing to drop their weapons and firing in the direction of police. Three other members of the agency were arrested.

According to an agreement concluded in December 2022 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise a year earlier, Henry was supposed to hold elections and then cede power to newly elected officials on February 7, 2024.

But Henry has remained in power, with an aide saying the prime minister intends to form a government of national unity.

The Western hemisphere’s poorest nation has been in turmoil for years, with armed gangs taking over parts of Haiti and unleashing brutal violence, leaving the economy and public health system in tatters.

The 2021 assassination of Moise plunged the country further into chaos. No elections have taken place since 2016 and the presidency remains vacant.

The protests have been called by several opposition parties and joined by employees of the environmental agency.

On Tuesday evening, a police station in the northeastern province of Ouanaminthe came under attack, local media reported. Major roads and schools have been closed across the country since Monday.

The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, said on Wednesday that it was reinforcing its borders due to the violence.

A policeman points a gun at protesters calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]

People celebrate the arrival of the para-military and environtmental agency Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP) — Haiti's government on February 5, 2024 announced a crackdown on the BSAP, whose heavily armed agents have gained power recently and have been blamed for violent clashes with police last week. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]

People run past burning tires — The protests have been called by several opposition parties. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]

A policeman shoots teargas — A policeman fires tear gas at protesters. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]

People demonstrate calling for the departure of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry — Haiti has been engulfed in unrest since Monday, with thousands of people in Port-au-Prince and across the country demanding that Henry step down. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]

Haitian policeman kicks a child — A policeman kicks a teenager as people loot a grocery store during protests. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]

A person runs past burning tires — The protests come as police battle alliances of heavily armed gangs estimated to control most of Haiti's capital, leading to a humanitarian crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands flee their homes to escape the violence. [Odelyn Joseph/AP Photos]

A protester burns tires — A protester burns tyres in Port-au-Prince. Major roads and schools have been closed across the country since Monday. [Richard Pierrin/AFP]