Police are trying to reach a gang-controlled area in central Haiti where at least 16 people have been killed in a series of attacks over the weekend. While only 16 fatalities have been confirmed by police, a local journalist reported 'around 20 dead,' with a human rights group estimating the number of fatalities could be as high as 70. Local rights activists attribute the violence to the Gran Grif gang, one of Haiti's most feared criminal organizations, which they claim has caused around 6,000 individuals to flee.
Gang violence has plagued the Caribbean nation for years, and the multinational police force dispatched to contain it has struggled to access gang-controlled areas. Residents in the rural area of Jean-Denis, near Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite, reported that the first attack began in the early hours of Sunday, with members of the gang assaulting homes and firing at those trying to escape the flames. Survivors recounted discovering corpses along the roads the following day.
After a second wave of attacks on Monday, the body count reached 16, yet many locals remain too frightened to retrieve the remains of their loved ones due to the continuing presence of gang members. The ombudsman revealed that at least 19 individuals had suffered gunshot wounds, complicating efforts to verify the total victim count.
Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, director of the Haiti Observatory for the Global Initiative, described the attacks as highly coordinated, with roads blocked to hinder police intervention. Criticism has mounted over government inaction amid pre-announcements of violence.
The orchestrator, known as 'Ti Kenken', previously led a vigilante group aimed at protecting locals but has since shifted alliances to Gran Grif. Observers warn that this raises significant concerns about loyalty shifts among groups meant to protect or assist in maintaining law and order.
Haiti's Artibonite region has previously suffered under the weight of gang violence; a notable incident in October 2024 resulted in over 100 deaths, attributed to the same Gran Grif gang, labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States in 2023. Moves have been made toward deploying a larger UN-backed Gang Suppression Force to replace an understaffed multinational police presence amidst this escalating chaos.
Gang violence has plagued the Caribbean nation for years, and the multinational police force dispatched to contain it has struggled to access gang-controlled areas. Residents in the rural area of Jean-Denis, near Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite, reported that the first attack began in the early hours of Sunday, with members of the gang assaulting homes and firing at those trying to escape the flames. Survivors recounted discovering corpses along the roads the following day.
After a second wave of attacks on Monday, the body count reached 16, yet many locals remain too frightened to retrieve the remains of their loved ones due to the continuing presence of gang members. The ombudsman revealed that at least 19 individuals had suffered gunshot wounds, complicating efforts to verify the total victim count.
Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, director of the Haiti Observatory for the Global Initiative, described the attacks as highly coordinated, with roads blocked to hinder police intervention. Criticism has mounted over government inaction amid pre-announcements of violence.
The orchestrator, known as 'Ti Kenken', previously led a vigilante group aimed at protecting locals but has since shifted alliances to Gran Grif. Observers warn that this raises significant concerns about loyalty shifts among groups meant to protect or assist in maintaining law and order.
Haiti's Artibonite region has previously suffered under the weight of gang violence; a notable incident in October 2024 resulted in over 100 deaths, attributed to the same Gran Grif gang, labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States in 2023. Moves have been made toward deploying a larger UN-backed Gang Suppression Force to replace an understaffed multinational police presence amidst this escalating chaos.
