The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding has vowed to restore order in the slums of Kingston after police and the military raided a drug lord’s stronghold.
Jamaican military and officers try to re-take control of the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood of western Kingston the stronghold of Christopher “Dudus” Coke and his posse.
Approxiametly 31 people were reported to have been killed in the clashes as thousands of military officers and police attempted to go into the stronghold area of drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke.
The violence started in Jamaican capital, Kingston on Friday when the country’s Prime Minister, Bruce Golding finally accepted Coke’s extradition to the US after nine months of refusal.
Golding’s acceptance of the extradition of Coke to the US resulted in bombings to police stations and other official buildings by the drug lord’s gang members.
The United States had asked for the extradition of the Coke, who leads the country’s biggest, strongest and most powerful gang, “the Shower Posse” as it is feared that if the drug lord is convicted and jailed in Jamaica, he would escape from prison with the help of his ally’s.
Coke and his gang is one of the United States largest supplier of cocaine and marijuana, and is also known for supplying arms.
Christopher “Dudus” Coke who is wanted by the United States for drugs trafficking charges and arms dealing.
The gang also has ties with the Jamaica Labour Party and also many high profile politicians in the country.
Though it seems unacceptable for a political Party to have close ties with such a deadly and lawless gang, such things are normal in Jamaica as the Party’s themselves created the gangs in the 70’s to make their votes go higher.
The gangs have turned to drugs since then, but are still known for their relations with political Parties.
The gang has huge support from residents who live in the slums where the gang operates, which is why Jamaican police and military are facing an uphill challenge.
With the Jamaican government so corrupt, the economy of the country in serious danger and basic needs of the people not accounted for by the authorities, the only people your average citizens, especially in the impoverished areas of the country can go to is the drug lords and gang members.
This is the main cause behind the support of the gangs. When a resident in the slums of the country is ill, or requires, food, clothes, furniture and other basic needs which they cannot afford, they go to the gang members.
The gangs are even known to have built health centers and schools, and brought in doctors and teachers to the slums of the area.
With the weakness of the Jamaican government, average citizens are more in favor of the gangs who support them, and are helping the gang members as they do not know what they would do without the lawless groups.
The gangs however, fund the services they give to the citizens with drug and arms trafficking, especially to the United States.
The drug lord is still not caught as the authorities cannot determine the whereabouts of Coke.
Meanwhile support for Coke and it’s gang have come from all four corners of the country with other gangs who operate in the country under the umbrella of the Shower Posse have rushed into the area to protect their leader.
The Prime Minister said on Tuesday “The operation being carried out under emergency powers are extraordinary measures but they are an extraordinary response to an extraordinary challenge to the safety and security of our citizens,”
“The loss of lives of members of the security forces and those of innocent law-abiding citizens who were caught in the cross-fire are deeply regretted”.
It is also feared that estimates of the death toll may be much more after hospital officials have reported that there were dozens of injured people in which some were in serious condition.
Another hospital source who spoke to AFP News Agency said that there were more than 60 bodies which were put into the hospitals morgue.
AFP was also told of the bodies being brought in with lorries, and a large amount were riddled with bullets including an infant.
The United States is still behind their quest to extradite the 41-year-old Coke, who is the son of a former drug lord that died in a Jamaican prison after a suspicious fire.
The United States have called the drug lord one of the “world’s most dangerous” drug baron.
Donald Trump says Zelensky ‘come back when he is ready for Peace’
Turkey Arrests Three Opposition Journalists
Netanyahu’s Residence Targeted in Another Attack
Russia Halts Gas Supplies to Austria, Marking a Shift in European Energy Relations