#36 Jacmel: A Carnival Against a Backdrop of Popular Discontent
All the news from Haiti this week: Jacmel Carnival, Tikawo Trafik, the canal against all odds, new "lost" territory in Carrefour as well as Cité-Soleil and La Saline attacked
Jacmel's famous carnival took place this week in all its glory, marked by anti-government protests.
This and more in HAITI WEEKLY #36 by DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO, a collective of journalists and media professionals based in Haiti.
Editor’s note: Between barricades and carnival, it's been a turbulent week in Haiti. Special thanks to the Fonds québécois en journalisme international (FQJI), which has made some of our recent reporting in the country possible. Happy reading!
Etienne Côté-Paluck
Summary #36
Dances, Masks and Protests: Jacmel Carnival Reinvents Itself
Music Video of the Week: Game Pwòp by Tikawo Trafik
Ouanaminthe Canal, Against All Odds
New "Lost" Territory in Carrefour?
Armed Attacks in Cite-Soleil and La Saline
Press reviews of the week
Dances, Masks and Protests: Jacmel Carnival Reinvents Itself
In keeping with tradition, the Jacmel Carnival brought the streets of the city to life on Sunday, February 4th, with its papier-mâché masks and groups of dancers. Artisans from the southeastern metropolis, who prepare their creations several months in advance, took to the streets. A few hours later, they were replaced by brass bands and the Hotmen float, before the streets were blocked again overnight by protesters.
The artists celebrated, allowing the crowd of mostly city residents, to escape the reality of the country for a few hours while mocking authority figures.
In the late afternoon, the marching bands of each district, competing to create the best atmosphere, also paraded along the main street and adjacent streets. Bands such as Bagèt Majik (Baguette Village), Fresh Style Band (Pengwen Crossing), Fresh Up (Pétion Street), Bèl Plezi (Isaac Prado Street), SOFAR Band (Nan Rakèt District), and Relax Band (lower town), among others, took to the streets.
A marching band also transformed its passage into a real demonstration, chanting "We are not into the Carnival [Nou pa nan kanaval]", accompanied by a crowd waving branches of leaves, the traditional symbol of discontent in Haiti. This gesture, charged with meaning, won over the audience. Band-à-pieds often play a central role in the entertainment of Haitian events.
Jacmel's official carnival took place on February 4, while the rest of the country celebrates a week later, during the three "jours gras" (February 11-13). Jacmel's carnival artists usually take advantage of the occasion to occupy the streets once again. This year, the symbolic date of February 7, marking the inauguration of the new presidents and the expected end of de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry's power, was marked by a week of demonstrations and numerous road blockades in Jacmel and the rest of the country. The demonstrators criticized the government for its alleged inability or unwillingness to resolve the problem of armed criminal groups in the capital and Artibonite, a problem that has led to a dramatic deterioration of the country's economy and widespread malnutrition.
“Look how far we've come. We've forgotten who we are. There's nothing left to destroy, the armed men have ravaged everything, all our hopes are gone.”
Excerpt from the song Katastròf planifye (Kanaval 2024), Hotmen
The float of the local rap group Hotmen ended the festivities in Jacmel after dark on the last two Sundays. Their song "Katastròf planifye", composed especially for Carnaval 2024, criticizes the current situation of the country and its leaders with a catchy beat.
Even before the end of the carnival activities, during the night, some roads on the outskirts of the city were blocked. From Monday to Thursday two weeks ago, Jacmel, like much of the country, was paralyzed by demonstrations and barricades.
“Prime Minister Ariel Henry has passed the February 7 milestone, so we don't know what the next chapter of his governance will be. We also don't know the agenda of the branch of the opposition that had set itself the task of overthrowing Ariel Henry. With an opposition that doesn't have the means to carry out its policies and a government that doesn't lead for Haitians, the country is caught in the crossfire.”
Excerpt from L'appétit de reproduire les mêmes erreurs
Editorial in Le Nouvelliste by Jean Pharès Jérôme (February 9, 2024)
In Port-au-Prince, on the first official day of Carnival last Sunday, a few DJs and partygoers took to the streets of the Champs-de-Mars in the afternoon, causing a stir in that part of the country. This large public square, the heart of the capital, borders neighborhoods now in the hands of armed criminal groups.
A small crowd also attempted to celebrate in the streets around the Champs-de-Mars on Monday, but a shooting brought the activities to an abrupt end in the late afternoon. Our initial information suggests that the Bel-Air armed group, holed up nearby, was behind the shooting.
Jacmel, Keeping the Carnival Tradition Alive . Le Nouvelliste
Armed Violence at Port-au-Prince Carnival: Carnivalgoers Injured - METROPOLE
AlterPresse | Crise : Carnival Festivities Against a Backdrop of Gang Violence and Misery in Haiti
Music Video of the Week
Game Pwòp by Tikawo Trafik
Tikawo Trafik, the singer and rapper with a sensitive heart, marks his return with Game Pwòp [Clean Game], on which he evokes the memory of lost loved ones. He emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's principles, going so far as to claim that his uprightness has earned him divine blessings: "The good Lord always blesses me, because I have a clean heart".
Best known for his hit Madan Paul in 2020, Tikawo pays tribute to ASAP Jexus, a young rapper who was tragically mowed down on his way home from a concert early last November, presumably the victim of an armed group.
Ouanaminthe Canal, Against All Odds
Construction of the Ouanaminthe Canal has slowed down in recent days due to repairs to the project's only excavator. The repair was delayed by roadblocks that prevented the arrival of the specialized technician from Port-au-Prince.
Last Saturday, in the middle of the morning, a Dominican Army plane flew over the site several times, crossing Haitian territory on several occasions. A helicopter also flew over the area before descending to river level and hovering briefly over the bank. There was no official communication from the authorities in either country regarding this air operation.
Despite the protests, which reached a climax on Wednesday February 7th, the work of gabionage, essential to prevent bank erosion, continued daily. This technique involves manually filling metal cages with stones and stacking them on top of each other.
A DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO team visited the site last week to document the progress of the work and prepare a report, which will be published shortly.
Haiti - Insecurity : The Dominican Army Has Set Up Machine Gun Posts On The Border - HaitiLibre.com
Ouanaminthe: Armed Attack On Police Station, One Dead . Le Nouvelliste
Five BSAP Agents Killed, Three Others Arrested by Police | Loop Haiti
New "Lost" Territory in Carrefour?
Since Monday, the sub-district of Rivière-Froide in the commune of Carrefour has been under the control of an armed criminal group from the neighboring district of Bwadòm. The security situation has also deteriorated in other areas of Carrefour, which is now surrounded by armed groups in Martissant and Fontamara to the east.
“Like boas constrictors, criminal groups continue to tighten their stranglehold on the city. And this economic and social strangulation is having a disastrous impact on housewives' shopping baskets. The beleaguered city is threatened by severe shortages.”
Excerpt from Incertitudes...
Editorial in Le National by Roody Edmé (February 5, 2024)
The attempts to take control of Mariani, located in the western part of Carrefour, continue. Some buses managed to cross the zone on Sunday, despite the climate of tension. Since the beginning of the year, the road to the south of the country has been completely blocked by these clashes.
In response to the recent events, the brigades in the central districts of Carrefour mobilized on Monday to, among other things, erect barricades (Monrepo 38, 40, Wane 89, 91, etc.) in the hope of better controlling the entrances and exits to the remaining free areas of the city.
Bandits attack Carrefour Neighborhoods, Deaths and Displaced Persons Recorded . Le Nouvelliste
AlterPresse | Ayiti-Klima laterè : Yon pakèt fanmi kontinye ap kouri kite kay yo nan komin Kafou, akoz gang ak zam yo
Cité-Soleil and La Saline: in the Midst of Turmoil, Residents Seek Refuge
Tensions between armed groups nicknamed G-9 and G-Pèp have continued in recent days in the lower part of Port-au-Prince, north of the city center. Early Monday and for most of the day, gunfire erupted in Cité-Soleil. According to initial reports, a faction from the Brooklyn district (G-Pèp) and their new allies from the Croix-des-Missions area (Tabarre commune, Chen Mechan), were attempting to seize territory in the Plaine de Cite-Soleil controlled by groups linked to G-9. There was less shooting this morning, but the situation remains fragile.
A week ago, another clash broke out in La Saline, opposite the port of Port-au-Prince. According to our information, the group based near Wharf Jérémie (G-9) launched an offensive to retake part of the La Saline neighborhood that they recently lost to rivals. These clashes confirm the beginning of a new period of open conflict in the last two weeks, after seven months of calm.
Haiti - Insecurity : 2,686 More People Flee Gang Violence - HaitiLibre.com
Plizyè Santèn Ayisyen Kouri Kite Kay yo Akoz Lese Frape Gang yo - VOA
DÈYÈ MÒN ENFO’s team
Photojournalists: Francillon Laguerre, Sonson Thelusma, Andoo Lafond, Milot Andris, Patrick Payin
Editorial board: Etienne Côté-Paluck, Jean Elie Fortiné, Jean-Paul Saint-Fleur
Interns: Wilky Andris, Donley Jean Simon
Special collaboration: Stéphanie Tourillon-Gingras, Mateo Fortin Lubin, Siffroy Clarens, Guitho Saül
Media partners: Centre à la Une, J-COM, Nord-Est Info
Institutional partners: Kay Fanm, Mouka.ht
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Press Reviews of the Week
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