Haiti’s Artibonite announces new security measures after new gang attack in Dessalines left 3 dead, multiple injuries and homes set ablaze | BREAKING NEWS

GONAÏVES — The Artibonite region is reeling after a brutal attack by the Gran Grif gang early Wednesday morning, Nov. 27, in the Dessalines commune. The assault left three dead — two men and one woman whose identities have not yet been revealed — at least five severely injured, multiple homes burned, and dozens of heads of cattle stolen, according to residents. These incidents mark the continued terror inflicted by gangs in the area, even as authorities promise heightened security measures.

“All measures have been taken to guarantee security in the Artibonite department,” said Kalerbe Exantus, Artibonite’s departmental police director, confirming the attack.

The departmental police chief told The Haitian Times that the challenges the local police face are multiple, but his officers are determined to curb the gang violence in the region. 

“It requires everyone’s support and collaboration. We call for unity between the police and the population to be able to curb the gang violence and restore security,” he said.

Specifically, the Gran Grif gang targeted farmers in the Carrefour Roger locality of Poste Pierrot, the fourth communal section of Dessalines. A group of heavily armed assailants stormed the area, firing indiscriminately and setting numerous homes on fire to force residents to flee before looting their properties, according to the section administrative councilwoman, Françoise Corisma.

“All measures have been taken to guarantee security in the Artibonite department.”

Kalerbe Exantus, Departmental Police Director

This attack comes after police efforts, supported by the Kenya-led Multinational Support and Security (MSS) mission, disrupted the gang’s extortion activities along National Road #1. Unable to continue their criminal activities in several areas where they have been dislodged by joint Haitian National Police (PNH) and MSS operations, the gang shifted focus to smaller communities like Petite-Rivière and Dessalines with no law enforcement presence to extort farmers, seizing their valuable goods and livestock.

Similar to Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, Artibonite residents have fallen victim to recurring gang violence. In recent months,  the region has endured a series of brutal incidents and blood baths, including several attacks between June and October, notably in hotspots like Terre-Neuve, Gros-Morne and  Pont- Sondé, where nearly 100 people were killed and multiple houses burned. 

While the reopening of the Liancourt police station has provided some relief in that area, no major operations have been launched to apprehend the armed gangs sowing terror on families. 

Residents in Pont-Sondé remain especially vulnerable, as no significant law enforcement action has been taken since an Oct. 3 massacre that left over 70 people dead and at least 3,000 displaced from their homes.

People continue to call for action

Families in the Artibonite department are pleading for more decisive action from law enforcement and Haiti’s international allies. As gang violence continues to escalate, the need for urgent and coordinated intervention has never been clearer.

The Artibonite authorities’ announcement of security measures is a step forward, but residents remain skeptical, given the lack of substantial progress in dismantling the gangs that have plagued their communities.

In recent days, armed gangs have exacerbated their violent resurgence, particularly in vulnerable communities of Port-au-Prince and its metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, Haiti’s authorities continue to promise stability and a resolution to the escalating gang violence amid a reshuffling of the transition government.                                                                                                                                                  

“It requires everyone’s support and collaboration. We call for unity between the police and the population to be able to curb the gang violence and restore security.”

 Kalerbe Exantus, Departmental Police Director

On Nov. 16, a new government led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé was installed. This marks the second administration inaugurated by the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) in just five months. Similarly to the mission shouldered by former Prime Minister Garry Conille’s administration, Fils-Aimé’s government is tasked with addressing gang violence and restoring an environment conducive to organizing elections, which is necessary to put the country back on a democratic track.

Amid widespread displacement, destruction of private and public properties, looting, sexual assault on women and girls, and killings, the CPT chairman, Leslie Voltaire, called for calm during the government’s inauguration ceremony at the Villa d’Accueil in Musseau— about six miles northeast of downtown Port-au-Prince, 100% controlled by armed gangs.                                                                                                                             

In his speech, Prime Minister Fils-Aimé echoed Voltaire’s call and stressed the urgency for immediate action. He emphasized that delays would only deepen the calamity of Haitians forced to flee their homes in desperation.

The post Haiti’s Artibonite announces new security measures after new gang attack in Dessalines left 3 dead, multiple injuries and homes set ablaze | BREAKING NEWS appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Haiti’s Artibonite announces new security measures after new gang attack in Dessalines left 3 dead, multiple injuries and homes set ablaze | BREAKING NEWS was first posted on November 29, 2024 at 1:22 pm.