Haiti’s notorious gang leader, Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier, has issued a menacing warning to the politicians involved in the formation of a new government.

Barbecue’s violent gang recently threw the Caribbean nation into turmoil, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who had been absent from his duties.

In response to international pressure, the unelected Henry agreed on Monday (March 11) to relinquish power to a Transitional Presidential Council, which is slated to govern Haiti until elections can be organized.

Despite initial rejection of the council’s formation on Wednesday (March 13), officials announced on Thursday (March 14) that a majority of Haitian political parties and coalitions had reached consensus.

The names of council members were forwarded to CARICOM, a regional trading bloc comprising Caribbean nations, which is assisting Haiti’s transitional process, the Daily Star reported.

However, with gangs controlling significant portions of the country, experts suggest that any new government will likely need to engage in negotiations with them.

While violence had somewhat abated following Henry’s resignation, shootings resumed late on Wednesday, prompting officials to extend the nighttime curfew until Sunday (March 17).

In a chilling development, Barbecue, the central figure in the violence, released a seven-minute audio message circulated via WhatsApp, in which he issued threats to politicians poised to participate in the Transitional Presidential Council.

“I’ll know if your kids are in Haiti, if your wives are in Haiti… if your husbands are in Haiti. If you’re going to run the country, all your family ought to be there,” he said in the message.

Written by B.C. Begley