In Port-au-Prince, nearly three million people are living in the grips of an asphyxiating gang war. The crisis continues despite the arrival of the first Kenyan police officers as part of a UN-backed multinational force to stem the violence. Although this international effort offers a glimmer of hope, few residents believe it could provide an effective or long-lasting solution. FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent and Roméo Langlois bring you behind the scenes of this exclusive 52-minute documentary.
Update: On February 24, 2025, this Reporters programme won the prize for best special report at the 30th “Lauriers de l’audiovisuel” awards ceremony in Paris.FRANCE 24 flew into Port-au-Prince by helicopter this May, when the international airport was still closed, and spent weeks filming on the ground in and around the Haitian capital. Their aim: to get an understanding of what it’s like for the inhabitants there, and how this deep-rooted crisis has spiralled so spectacularly out of control.The Haitian capital’s myriad gangs now control more than 80 percent of the city, and their notorious spokesman Jimmy Chérizier, also known as “Barbecue”, told FRANCE 24 they’re not counting on laying down their weapons any time soon. “We demand to be at the negotiating table,” he said from his stronghold in the slums of lower Port-au-Prince. “If not, we will continue to fight.”Barbecue is the frontman of a powerful alliance of the capital’s gangs called Viv Ansamn ("Live Together", in Creole). Instead of fighting each other, the armed groups have united and turned their firepower on the state, forcing prime minister Ariel Henry to resign during an overseas trip in March. Violent businessToday, the gangs wield ... Go on reading on our web site.
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