Key Highlights:
- Gang violence killed 1,660 and injured 850 in Haiti from January to March 2024, a 50% increase, compared to the previous quarter, according to the UN report
- Report cited gangs using rape as a weapon, child recruitment, attacking police, orchestrating prison breaks
- Civilians formed vigilante ‘self-defense’ groups and mob killings of suspected criminals rose
- UN urges expediting Kenya-led international security mission to restore order
A surging wave of gang violence in Haiti resulted in 1,660 fatalities and 850 injuries during the initial three months of 2024, according to a United Nations report released on Friday, April 19. This figure represents a substantial increase of over 50% compared to the previous quarter’s statistics when the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) reported 1,104 deaths and 532 injuries.
Nearly four out of every five of these casualties (79%) occurred in the lawless capital city of Port-au-Prince, as authorities struggled to maintain control. The report warned that recent months had also witnessed more frequent and organized gang attacks targeting government or law enforcement facilities.
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It highlighted the major prison breaks orchestrated by Port-au-Prince gangs, during which ‘more than 4,600 inmates escaped from the two main prisons in the capital’. Additionally, the report stated that at least 22 police facilities had been looted or set ablaze, with 19 police officers killed or injured within the first three months of the year.
The Caribbean nation has endured decades of poverty, natural disasters, political instability, and escalating gang violence, ravaging the country.
Why Did the Situation Worsen in Recent Months?
Haiti’s longstanding struggle with gang violence, coupled with a weak government exerting only partial control over the nation, particularly the situation escalated into a full-blown crisis in late February when gangs controlling substantial portions of the capital, Port-au-Prince, launched a coordinated offensive aimed at ousting Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister, Ariel Henry.
In response to mounting international pressure, Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his intention to resign on March 11, 2024. However, the formation of a transitional council to oversee the electoral process proved to be a protracted and arduous undertaking, finally reaching completion just last week.
Despite Henry’s pledge to step down, the prospect of a new government or a scheduled election date remains uncertain, with Haiti having not held any elections since November 2016, nearly two months after Henry’s announcement.
The gang’s opposition to Henry’s administration coincided with a growing wave of public discontent and protests against his unelected leadership following the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Throughout his tenure, Henry had maintained that the security situation was too precarious to hold elections.
Violence escalated during Henry’s absence on a diplomatic mission to Kenya, where he sought support for an international policing mission requested by Haiti in 2022. Despite Kenya eventually agreeing to lead the mission after over a year of appeals, its implementation is now on hold amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Haiti’s governance.
Horrific Gang Violence Toll
“From January 1 to March 31, 1,660 individuals (1,347 men, 273 women, and 40 children) lost their lives, while another 845 (624 men, 179 women, and 42 children) sustained injuries due to gang violence,” a BINUH spokesperson informed AFP.
During the last quarter of 2023, there were 1,104 recorded killings and 532 injuries. The early 2024 fatalities also encompassed 141 individuals killed by ‘self-defense’ groups, who, over the past year, have begun taking the law into their own hands as the country’s security forces find themselves overwhelmed and outmatched by the gangs.
Bwa Kale” incidents- 62 adults killed
However, the UN report noted a 37 percent decrease in kidnappings for ransom across the country compared to the previous quarter. At least 438 people were abducted, most of them in the Artibonite department north of the capital, where gangs target public transport passengers, according to the report.
Nevertheless, gangs have persisted in resorting to sexual violence against residents of ‘rival’ neighborhoods, the report highlighted, particularly emphasizing the gang rapes endured by young girls.
“The gang violence was severely limiting access to essential services and called for expediting the deployment of a UN-backed international security mission to be led by Kenya.”
– Maria Isabel Salvador, Chief of BINUH
Conflict Drivers Analyzed: Rape as Weapon
The report delineated a diverse array of factors fueling the conflicts. At times, it involved rival gangs battling over territorial control and influence. In other instances, they would engage in confrontations with law enforcement personnel and police forces.
It cautioned that rape was being employed as a weapon of war, both against civilians residing in territories controlled by adversaries and recently when gangs overran a women’s prison. Additionally, the report stated that the recruitment of children was a commonplace occurrence.
BINUH also noted a rise in casualties and injuries inflicted during police operations, as law enforcement sought to respond to the escalation in violence.
According to the report, a total of 590 individuals had been killed or injured in police operations, further adding that “many were apparently not involved in gang violence, and some people were living with mobility impairments.”
Mob Justice on Rise
The report also cautioned about the escalating phenomenon of Haitian mob justice, commonly referred to as ‘Bwa Kale’ (Haitian Creole, literally translating to ‘peeled wood’, an idiom for swift justice), as civilians attempted to turn the tables on gangs members.
“Between January and March, at least 62 adults, allegedly affiliated with gangs or suspected of crimes, were killed by the population using machetes and stones. Their bodies were often set ablaze,” the report stated. It noted how these cases occurred outside the capital, where the gang presence is less pronounced, “indicating a growing fear on the part of the population in these areas of the escalating violence affecting Port-au-Prince.”
Meanwhile, the more formal and organized ‘self-defense groups’ in areas with a heavier gang presence were responsible for the deaths of at least 79 individuals, two of whom were under the age of 16, according to the report.
In conclusion, Haiti’s recent surge in gang violence, as outlined in the United Nations report, paints a grim picture of a nation engulfed in turmoil. The substantial increase in fatalities and injuries, alongside the challenges faced by law enforcement, emphasizes the urgent need for stability and effective governance. The situation’s complexity, driven by political instability, poverty, and escalating violence, demands immediate international attention and support.
