Haiti gang leader 'Barbecue' warns of 'civil war and genocide' if PM does not step down and says the nation will 'either become paradise or hell' as criminals 'massacre indiscriminately'

A powerful Haitian gang leader warned Tuesday that the chaos engulfing the capital Port-au-Prince will lead to civil war and 'genocide' unless PM Ariel Henry resigns.

The stark comments from Jimmy Cherizier, known as 'Barbecue,' came as Henry appeared to be struggling to fly home, with the main airport under attack and neighbouring Dominican Republic refusing permission for him to land.

Henry - who was supposed to step down last month - was out of the country last week when armed criminal gangs, who control large swathes of Haiti, launched a coordinated assault to oust him - leading to some calling Haiti 'failed state'.