Haitian official accused of using fake security unit to seize land, harass residents

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Northern Department Delegate Pierrot Augustin has illegally installed a group of agents in Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP, its French acronym) uniforms in Carrefour La Mort, a neighborhood near Cap-Haïtien, without proper authorization. This was revealed in an open letter from BSAP dated Oct. 16. These men, posing as BSAP officers, have been accused of land theft and harassing residents, the letter states.

“I would like to first grab your attention for a situation that happened last week at Carrefour La Mort,” wrote Gérald Joseph, BSAP’s Northern Department director.

“Mr. Pierre Degaulle [Augustin]… who has no responsibility in BSAP, installed in a hovel a number of people in combat uniform who are pretending to be BSAP agents,” Joseph added.

Joseph’s letter was addressed to Cap-Haïtien’s City Attorney, Charles Durand, and other local officials, including the dean of Cap-Haïtien’s Court of First Instance, Joseph Alfred Manigat, and Quartier-Morin’s Mayor Guytau Belizaire. Joseph accuses Augustin of setting up a group of men in combat uniforms in a makeshift building and passing them off as BSAP agents. 

These unauthorized agents have reportedly been involved in land grabs and unlawfully searching young men late at night, residents told The Haitian Times.

Five days before sending the letter, Joseph issued a mass message via WhatsApp accusing Augustin of using the illegal BSAP unit “to handle his dechoukay business.” Dechoukay is a Creole term referring literally to uprooting, stealing, looting, rioting, and destroying. It gained prominence during the political upheaval following dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier’s—Baby Doc—exile on February 7, 1986, marking a period of intense social conflict and hope for transformation in Haiti.

Cap-Haïtien’s Bar Association president, Ronel Telsyde, also recently accused Augustin of robbing people of their lands in Likesi, another area in Quartier-Morin, giving the stolen land to wanted criminals,  according to Comactu. The regional delegate has long faced accusations of employing bandits, with reports dating back to the late 2010s linking him to arming young men during a period when gang violence started to surge in Cap-Haïtien.

Augustin did not respond to The Haitian Times’ requests for an interview. However, in an Oct. 8 interview with Guyno Duverné, he denied employing bandits, stating that “his only armed bandits are the police force.” He also refuted claims of land theft, insisting that the properties in question belong to the State, not private citizens.

“I’m the delegate; I’m in charge of all State properties,” Augustin said. “If someone illegally takes State land, should I remain silent?” He added that the land at the center of the controversy has been State property since 1979.

Unauthorized BSAP agents abusing power

In addition to the allegations of land theft, the unauthorized BSAP agents stationed in Carrefour La Mort have reportedly been harassing residents. One man told The Haitian Times that agents pointed guns at him and searched him late at night.

Another resident, Jerry Sélondieu, recounted how the agents stopped three young men from the area around 10 p.m. on Oct. 12, forcing them to the ground and searching them without reason.

“They have a ‘foli chèf,’” Sélondieu said, using a Creole term for a desire to act like law enforcers. “They’ve been causing trouble, searching young men even though they live in the area.”

Sélondieu, who asked to be identified by a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation, noted that the men’s BSAP uniforms lacked the Haitian flag, further raising suspicions about their legitimacy.

The base in Carrefour La Mort is a small, unfinished building of cemented bricks with “BSAP” painted on the front. Despite the makeshift appearance, residents say the unauthorized agents have been actively patrolling the area, albeit in a heavy-handed manner.

BSAP was founded in 2017 with the mission of protecting natural resources, including land reserves and rivers. However, Carrefour La Mort—French for crossroads of death—has no such resources, making the presence of BSAP agents there questionable. 

Furthermore, according to Joseph’s letter, BSAP members must be certified by the Departmental Service of Judicial Police (SDPJ), which is not the case for the men stationed in Carrefour la Mort.

BSAP’s troubled history

BSAP has faced allegations of abuse in the past. In February 2022, the Ministry of Environment canceled all BSAP agents’ badges due to repeated instances of misconduct. BSAP was later revived in 2023 and gained some positive attention for protecting the construction of an irrigation canal on the Massacre River near the Haiti-Dominican Republic border.

Despite this, the unit has continued to face accusations of abuse, especially in the Northern Department. Men in BSAP uniforms were implicated in the kidnapping of American YouTuber Addison Pierre Maalouf, who was handed over to the 400 Mawozo gang in March 2024 in Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune about 10 miles east of Port-au-Prince.

Some residents in Carrefour La Mort have noted, however, that the unauthorized BSAP agents have provided a degree of security in the area where violence was previously rampant.

“I wouldn’t like them to dismantle the BSAP unit here,” Sélondieu said. “They’re helping us. It’s less violent now. But they need to be formalized and bring some order to the situation.”

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Haitian official accused of using fake security unit to seize land, harass residents was first posted on October 21, 2024 at 10:31 am.