Haiti warns of political violence

Government in danger of collapsing as gangs capitalise on instability, officials say.

haiti gangs

Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti’s prime minister, says his government is in danger of collapsing, as gangs and political opponents capitalise on its inability to deal with the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake.

His comments come amid concern that armed gangs could try to take advantage of the situation to re-take control of areas now patrolled by UN peacekeepers.

But the presence of foreign soldiers is seen as an insult to many who remain deeply loyal to Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s former president, whose second term ended when he was ousted in a coup in 2004.

Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reports from the capital, Port-au-Prince, where he met one of Aristide’s supporters who says he is ready to use weapons to bring back the former president.

Source: Al Jazeera