The violence in Haiti

The gang leader Barbecue demands to participate in political negotiations

Gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, better known as Barbecue, says he is ready to lay down his arms if he is allowed to participate in negotiations to appoint a new government in Haiti, he told Sky News.

The political parties in the country have been trying to form a transitional government after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation as a result of the violence in the country.

- The political class says that they exclude bandits, that men with guns are not allowed to participate. But it's a way for them to breathe new life into the same system, says Barbecue.

80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince is controlled by various gangs and entire neighborhoods have been burned to the ground. "Everyday life has basically stopped," writes Sky News.

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Youtuber kidnapped - was going to interview gang leaders

An American YouTuber has been kidnapped in Haiti after traveling to the violence-stricken country in the hope of doing an interview with Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, writes Forbes. Chérizier is the leader of the G9 Family gang.

Addison Pierre Maalouf, better known as "YourFellowArab", traveled to Haiti in mid-March. Less than a day after arriving, he and a colleague were abducted by a gang called 400 Mawozo, who are demanding $600,000 for their release.

Maalouf's friends have criticized the US State Department for not doing more to help him. The authority advises against travel to Haiti and writes on its website that kidnappings of American citizens are common in the country.