Jakarta. Indonesia has prepared a “contingency plan” for its citizens in the violence-torn Haiti.

Seven Indonesians today are working as spa therapists in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Indonesia has assigned its diplomatic mission in Havana, Cuba to also deal with matters related to Haiti. This includes making sure that all of the Indonesian nationals are okay amid the unrest.

“The Indonesian embassy [in Havana] has prepared a contingency plan in case the situation escalates,” Judha Nugaraha, the director for citizen protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, told the Jakarta Globe over text on Monday.

However, the diplomat refused to give any more details on the said contingency plan. 

Judha said: “Sorry about that. But I can’t share the details [on the plan] for safety reasons.”

According to Judha, the embassy is still in contact and will continue to monitor the 7 said Indonesians. 

“They are all safe and sound,” Judha added.

On March 4, the Indonesian Embassy in Havana told all of the seven citizens not to leave their homes. Indonesian Ambassador to Havana Nana Yuliana at the time laid out some strategies that the embassy was planning. This includes an evacuation via land routes to the neighboring Dominican Republic. Nana also told the Indonesian citizens to leave Haiti and find jobs in other Caribbean countries.

Haiti has been witnessing weeks of rampant gang violence. 

The conflict stemmed from the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Days before Moise’s death, Ariel Henry was appointed as the country's prime minister. BBC wrote that Henry had been leading the country as the acting president on a supposedly interim basis since then, but had repeatedly postponed elections. 

However, Henry recently announced he would resign following mounting pressures from armed gangs. He would step down once Haiti established a transitional presidential council.

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