This was the second attack against the Haitian Prime Minister, who had already been shot at by illegal armed groups on October 17, 2020, on the occasion of a tribute to independence leader Jean Jacques Dessalines. | Photo: EFE

Port-au-Prince, January 6 (RHC)-- The human rights organization Hands Together for the Development of Haiti (Mains Ensemble pour le Développement d'Haiti, Medha for its French acronym) revealed Thursday that the recent attempt against the prime minister, Ariel Henry, resulted in the death of at least six people, including four policemen.

In a message disseminated through Twitter, the platform assures that it completed an investigation on the event that occurred on January 1st in the northern city of Gonaïves, when the head of government was attending a religious service that was part of the commemoration of the 218th anniversary of national independence.

According to the Medha report, quoted by other media, three officers died in a police station on Vernert Street and another as a result of wounds received during an exchange of fire outside the St. Charles funeral parlor.

In the case of the former, the organization assures that their colleagues did everything possible to recover the bodies without leaving evidence.  The report adds that two other victims were recorded at the crossroads of the Collège Jean Jacques Dessalines and the Court of Appeal of Gonaïves, one of them apparently belonging to the official delegation.

Earlier, the media reported one dead and several wounded in the incident, which pitted security forces against members of criminal gangs who had warned Henry not to come to the city. The Haitian government did not offer an assessment of what happened.

The document prepared by Medha states that the Saint Charles parish, where the religious ceremony attended by the premier took place, was hit by several projectiles and bullet holes were found in its main façade.

Following the incident, the dignitary had to cancel his other official activities in Gonaïves. Hours later, he confirmed to the press the attack and the bullet holes in the vehicle carrying him.

Representatives of various sectors and even international organizations such as the Caribbean Community (Caricom) condemned the events, which prompted an investigation, as announced by the Minister of Justice, Berto Dorcé.

Haiti is in the midst of a deep political, economic, humanitarian and security crisis, aggravated by the earthquake of August 2020 (which left more than 2,100 dead and some 10,000 injured) and the activity of organized crime, among other causes.

Such situation was aggravated after the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in his residence, executed by a commando of mercenaries on July 7, 2021. The slowness of the investigation into the assassination, which some sectors link to Henry, has been criticized.