The government order comes after violent clashes over the weekend that left portions of Port-au-Prince paralyzed and communications momentarily down.
Recent days have seen a surge in gun violence in response to demands made by former police officer and gang leader Jimmy Cherizier for criminal organizations to band together and remove Ariel Henry from power.
Until Wednesday, there will be a curfew in place from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., with the possibility of an additional 72-hour extension, in an effort to bring peace back.
On Saturday night, armed groups stormed the nation’s biggest prison, eluding police officers who had requested assistance.
The National Penitentiary’s main prison doors were still open on Sunday, and there was no sign of any police presence there.
“I’m the sole individual remaining in my cell,” a Reuters news agency-quoting prisoner stated. “We heard gunfire while we were sleeping. The walls between cells have been broken.”
