Gangs continue to rule and expand their grip on Haiti as authorities promise action

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The high command of the National Police (PNH) and the transitional government have been reassuring Haitians by promising to strengthen police presence in gang-controlled areas, notably in the West and Artibonite departments. However, municipalities suffering from intense gang-led atrocities like Gressier, Carrefour, and Ganthier are still waiting for help.

Police operations remain limited as PNH officers are not sufficiently equipped and continue to be overrun and outmanned by powerful gangs, despite the presence of 400 Kenyan forces—part of the Multinational Security and Support (MSS)—tasked with assisting their efforts.

During a press conference on Aug. 16, PNH spokesperson Michel-Ange Louis Jeune discussed a recent operation at “Hôtel Anvayi” in Tabarre, near the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, stating that “the police have begun to take action against gang violence and will continue their efforts to reclaim the territories from criminal groups, asking for patience.”

“The population is asking for more, and it’s normal, given the situation. But you have to start somewhere. So, we start and move forward,” Louis Jeune said. “The police will continue to work and inform the population about their actions.”

During the intervention at the hotel in Tabarre on Aug. 15, at least five people, including two police officers affiliated with the 400 Mawozo gang—Wilson Lamartinière and Maxime Hans Agenor—and prison escapee Cazales “Gwo Fanfan” Blanco, were killed in gunfire exchanges with PNH officers. 

Additionally, 13 alleged bandits were arrested, including three police officers and two journalists—Banatte Daniel of Regard FM and Richelson Sénejuste of Radio Pa Nou. The journalists were in a white vehicle registered under ‘State Service’ and had several weapons, including a Ruger rifle, the police spokesperson said.

Regarding the MSS’s involvement in supporting the PNH operations, Louis Jeune noted that Kenyan police officers have been helping local law enforcement dislodge gangs and will continue to be deployed on the ground to assist in restoring peace.

However, a source familiar with the Kenyan forces’ situation told The Haitian Times that the East African contingent faces numerous challenges to effectiveness, including limitations with logistics and a lack of equipment.

The U.S. government has been providing materials and equipment to the multinational mission through the Department of Defense. However, the source requesting anonymity, as they are not officially authorized to speak, stated that the materials provided are mainly inadequate to counter the skilled and sophisticated gangs effectively.

On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Defense delivered two MaxxPro vehicles with turrets—out of the 24 promised—to the MSS commander, Godfrey Otunge, aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane. The C-17 will also transport 34 kits for artillery protection, known as ‘turrets,’ which will be installed by U.S. contractors in the coming days.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense note, these turrets are designed to enhance tactical visibility and protection for MSS personnel during joint security operations with the Haitian police. This new batch of equipment will supplement the ten Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAP) previously provided by the U.S. to support the operations of the PNH in areas affected by gang violence.

Additionally, the PNH received 24 armored troop transport vehicles with turrets on Friday. These vehicles, ordered by the previous government, were delivered at the Port-au-Prince seaport by the French government, according to a note from the MSS.

Awaiting the government’s concrete action plan

Minister of Justice and Public Security Carlos Hercule, in an interview with The Haitian Times during the Port-au-Prince bar book fair on Aug. 23, stated that the government’s more aggressive effort to address gang violence is still in planning. “A goal needs planning to achieve it so that results will come more quickly,” he said.

“The population is asking for more, and it’s normal, given the situation. But you have to start somewhere. So, we start and move forward. The police will continue to work and inform the population about their actions.”

Michel-Ange Louis Jeune, Spokesperson for the Haitian National Police

However, Hercule referred to an Aug. 9  press release indicating that after gang attacks in Ganthier, Cabaret, and Arcahaie, the PNH received formal instructions to act against the bandits terrorizing the country, particularly in Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan areas.

The minister of justice conceded that the terror imposed by armed gangs has lasted too long. He urged police authorities to guarantee public peace so people can “move freely, in complete peace, and return to their normal life.”

“As part of the state of emergency, members of the anti-gang unit, including government commissioners and deputy commissioners, are instructed to act against the gangs and their sponsors,” Hercule said.

Despite government promises, the security conditions remain unchanged, particularly in southwestern Port-au-Prince communities of Carrefour and Gressier, where gangs impose their rule, dictating their way on residents’ lives. 

Since June 2021, a climate of terror has prevailed at the southern entrance to the capital, with gangs from Village-de-Dieu, Grand Ravine, and Fontamara extorting, stealing, kidnapping, and killing along National Road #2. The situation has worsened as gangs expand their control.

More suffering in Carrefour and Gressier 

Gang attacks have taken a heavy toll on these communities. While the authorities promised action, a report published by the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) on Aug. 15 revealed that at least 66 people were killed or reported missing between January and July 2024 in the two municipalities due to gang violence.

According to RNDDH, the victims include four Haitian police officers, 15 women, a minor, and 12 elderly people aged between 60 and 80. Additionally, 46 women and girls have been sexually abused. Among these women, 23 were rescued by the police during a July 20-21 operation in Monvil, Gressier.

“Fifteen of these women were raped by at least four men each. They were kidnapped from vehicles traveling south,” said Gressier’s interim executive agent, Jean Vladimir Bertrand.

The RNDDH also reported significant material damage, with hundreds of homes burned, looted, or occupied by armed bandits. They stole vehicles and goods, looted the Town Hall, destroyed the Gressier police station, and set fire to the Saint-Charles sub-police station. 

However, state interventions in the region remain insignificant compared to the terror imposed by armed gangs,” the RNDDH said. “From January to July 2024, the security situation in Carrefour and Gressier completely degenerated, marked by armed bandits in the streets, markets, sports clubs, and bus stations.”

The human rights organization noted that Haitian authorities have lost control of the southern part of the capital. Gangs now regulate public markets, businesses, and transportation. They have multiplied toll booths on the road from Portail Léogane to Gressier— less than 13 miles—with drivers and passengers paying at least 12 times for passage.

Impatient, civil society organizations express frustrations

Manice Deplat, president of SOS Transport, a public transportation union, expressed frustration with the transition government’s slow response to restoring road security. He urged swift and bold action against gang groups. 

“To neutralize gangs, promises and speeches are no longer enough. It is time for the reign of bandits to end,” Deplat said. “Prime Minister Garry Conille and PNH Director Rameau Normil must take concrete measures to end insecurity.”

While some criticize the Haitian authorities’ laxity and the ineffective presence of Kenyan officers, others call on the international community to fulfill its promises of support to the Haitian police.

The political organization Nou Pap Konplis highlights that continued insecurity kills hope and economically weakens the Haitian people due to the authorities’ passivity. The organization questions the delay in delivering the promised equipment from the United States to the multinational mission, while Haiti’s government refuses support from El Salvador.

The organization has criticized the U.S. for not providing the rifles, helicopters, snipers, riot control equipment, firearms, ammunition, and surveillance drones it had promised to the Multinational Security and Support (MSS) mission.

In a press release shared with The Haitian Times, Ricardo Fleuridor, national coordinator of Nou Pap Konplis, expressed his confusion over the refusal of El Salvador’s offer to provide helicopters to the Haitian police and to transfer part of its military contingent from Mali to Haiti to strengthen the MSS.

“More than a month after Kenyan forces arrived, Haiti struggles to see the promises from the international community materialize,” said Fleuridor. “What is happening in Ganthier and Gressier is not due to our law enforcement’s failure.”

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Gangs continue to rule and expand their grip on Haiti as authorities promise action was first posted on August 26, 2024 at 8:56 am.