Di gangsters and rebels wey dey hustle for power for Haiti

One former police officer wey like to dey give news conferences as e hold high-powered weapon and one young criminal wey like to dey feature for rap videos as e like to dey traffic arms and drugs.

These na just two of di gang leaders dem blame for di kasala wey burst for Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, wey also lead to di resignation of Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Add one former rebel wey just comot from prison for US wey get plan to become president and you go get explosive mix.

As di kontri dey for limbo for di creation of a transition government, we take closer look at some of those wey dey jostle for power for Haiti.

Gang leader Jimmy 'Barbecue' Chérizier

47-year-old former police officer fit no be di most powerful gang leader for Haiti, but Jimmy Chérizier has emerge as di most visible face for di recent fight fight.

E like to dey follow tori pipo tok as e wear im trademark bullet-proof vest, di man wey pipo sabi as Barbecue lead one alliance of gangs called G9.

Barbecue na one of di most outspoken enemies of Ariel Henry, wey don dey call for im resignation ever since e dey sworn in as prime minister.

Di G9 leader like to dey show himself as pesin wey fight for di common pipo and against di oligarchy.

But dem no only accuse am of leading a massacre for 2018 wey lead to di death of many pipo, e also dey behind di 2021 blockade of di Varreux fuel terminal.

G9 attacks on water and food deliveries bin cause severe shortages among Haiti poorest. Di lack of fuel wey di blockade cause mean say hospitals struggle to dey run dia generators to provide crucial care.

"Barbecue don make unclear demands of a more just and equitable system, but of course di irony of dis whole situation na say di armed groups for di capital and around dey create di hell wey pipo dey live through," Haiti expert Michael Deibert explain.

Barbecue claim to get united Port-au-Prince notoriously quarrelsome gangs for one coalition called Viv Ansanm (Live Together).

E dey hard to verify dat claim. But so far no rival gang leader don deny am, any alliance dey likely to be short-lived, according to Michael Deibert.

"These groups dey fight mercilessly wit one another all di time," di journalist, author and researcher for di University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE) explain.

Oga Deibert tok say e be like say di gangs don see "modus vivendi" as dem dey try to tear down di pillars of di state. "To what end I no dey exactly clear," e add.

Barbecue bin warn last week say "civil war" fit occur if Oga Henry return to Haiti. Di leader of di G9 neva tok anytin since Oga Henry tok say im go step down as soon as dem create transition council.

But judging by im previous warnings say make dem leave Haitians to decide Haitian affairs without any outside interference, di planned deployment of a multi-national security force to Haiti no go, go down well wit am.

Romain Le Cour, one expert for di Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), tok say Barbecue dey get plenty of im power from controlling di capital port and fuel terminal.

If dem deploy international police forces to retake these key installations, Barbecue fit see as im influence reduce, Mr Le Cour argue.

Both Mr Le Cour and Mr Deibert warn warn say Barbecue even remotely, no be di most powerful gang leader for Haiti, e just di one wey dey most accessible to di media.

"Plenty of di most powerful characters na pipo wey no dey grant journalists interview," Mr Deibert point out.

Gang leader Johnson André, aka Izo

One of di gang leaders pipo reason say get more power pass Barbecue na 26-year-old man wey pipo sabi as Izo.

Izo different from Barbecue, e be former police officer, e come up through di gang hierarchy to lead di Vilaj de Dye - 5 Segonn gang, Romain Le Cour explain.

Di two gang leaders share love of di limelight, but Izo like to use social media to publish music videos instead of to air im political views.

Di young gangster don release some rap videos and YouTube give am price for getting 100,000 followers.

But behind di gangster bling façade na pesin wey be ruthless criminal wey get gang wey engage for rape, kidnappings, drug and arms trafficking, according to di United Nations.

Dem also accuse am say e block di delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Romain Le Cour, wey don dey study Haiti gangs for years, tok say wetin make Izo stand out na di fact say e don manage to gain control of maritime routes for Port-au-Prince Bay.

Wey allow am to avoid territory wey oda gangs dey in charge and dis one let am dey move weapons quickly.

According to di UN, Izo don also exploit Haiti "fragile security environment" to make money through drug trafficking wit some shipments wey reportedly land Vilaj de Dye neighbourhood from South America wia e dey control.

For im report on Haiti gang crisis , di Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) trace Izo attempt to expand im territorial control beyond di capital.

Im gang spread into Mirebalais, 35km north of di capital, e trigger deadly clashes between members of im 5 Segonn gang and vigilantes wey lead to di death of 30 pipo. According to di report, at least 800 families run comot dia houses for di resulting violence.

Mr Le Cour point out say Izo drug trafficking and arms smuggling network go dey particularly tough to break down e dey very different, so much so say, e no dey back down from selling weapons to im rivals.

Former rebel Guy Philippe

Guy Philippe na anoda former police officer wey turn rebel. Di 56-year-old bin help lead di coup against President Bertrand Aristide for 2004.

For 2016, e run for Senate for Haiti and win. But days before dem swear am into office – wey for give am immunity from prosecution – dem arrest am on drug-trafficking charges and extradite am go di US.

E confess say e collect bribes to protect narcotics shipments go di US wen e dey work as senior police officer.

Dem deport Philippe go back Haiti for November afta e serve im sentence, one move Michael Deibert describe as "pouring gasoline on an already raging fire".

E no take Philippe long to share video messages on social media wia e call for a "rebellion" against Mr Henry.

Guy Philippe don openly express im desire to be Haiti next president.

Wen dem ask am if im jail term fit prove as stumbling block on di way to di presidential palace, e say: "[Former South African President Nelson] Mandela bin dey prison. [Former Venezuelan President] Hugo Chávez bin dey for prison. [Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva] Lula bin dey for prison... And so if my pipo believe and trust me, I go be dia leader. E dey up to my people, no-one else."

Oga Deibert point out say Philippe no be di only one wey don express im presidential ambitions for di middle of di chaos wey di gang violence create.

"di group wey e be like say dem forget ma di pipo of Haiti," e tok, e draw attention to di humanitarian crisis wey don leave estimated five million pipo out of Haiti 11 million pipo dey face serious hunger.