International

Thousands of displaced people in Haiti flee the violence of armed gangs

Thousands of people living in the areas of Solino, Nazon and Christ-Roi, in the heart of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, have left their homes fleeing the advance of the armed gangs towards new territories, in the face of the indifference of the authorities and despite the presence of the Multinational Security Support Force, which leads Kenya.

“The gang members are very close,” a woman told reporters in tears, who has not known since Thursday morning the whereabouts of her children, who, like her, fled from the gangs, which since Monday have terrorized the Haitian capital, which has already left several dead, according to different media.

Last Sunday the leader of Vivre Ensemble, former police officer Jimmy Cherizier alias ‘Barbecue’, announced a resurgence of violence and asked the population not to leave their homes if it was not necessary, which has led to the paralysis of activities in the capital of impoverished Haiti.

Several dead in Haiti due to gang violence

Between Monday and this Thursday, several people have died, either at the hands of the gangs themselves or in clashes between armed gangs, according to local media.

Panic reigns in the different neighborhoods near the areas already under the control of the gangs, which last Monday shot two American commercial planes, which led to the closure of the Toussaint Louverture international airport, the main one in the country, and the suspension of flights by several companies.

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EFE could observe this Thursday men, women and especially children with suitcases on their backs, or at least bags on their heads, fleeing their neighborhoods threatened by the gangs, trying to save what they could. A few people were able to move, taking everything with them.

Thousands of people have taken refuge in Bourdon, on the premises of the Citizen Protection Office, which had been housing students from the Faculty of Law and Economics of Port-au-Prince for several months, when she was evicted by the gangs.

More than 1,000 dead

This is the umpteenth public space invaded by displaced people fleeing the atrocities of the armed gangs belonging to the coalition of alias Barbecue.

Between July and September alone, at least 1,223 people died and 522 were injured as a result of violence and the fight against gangs, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (Binuh).

Added to this are the 3,900 victims between dead and wounded in the first half of the year, after 2023 closed with about 8,000 victims.

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Haiti had, until last September, 702,973 internally displaced people, according to official figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and it is very likely that these figures will increase with the upsurge in gang violence

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”