Haiti sees rise of ‘vigilante justice’ as gang violence soars
1 year, 7 months ago

Haiti sees rise of ‘vigilante justice’ as gang violence soars

Al Jazeera  

UN official warns violence shows ‘no sign of ending’ as frustrated Haitians go after gang members themselves. Haitians are “taking the law into their own hands” with a wave of vigilantism that risks worsening the country’s already skyrocketing levels of violence, a United Nations official has warned. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that suspected Haitian gang members have been killed and lynched in the streets amid the recent rise of “vigilante justice”. “The Bwa Kale will continue to eradicate the kidnapping violence in the country.” ‘Short-term solution’ Garry Pierre-Pierre, a Haitian-American journalist and founder of The Haitian Times, recently told NPR that the Haitian population has also “enlisted the police” to help in efforts to stop gang violence. It’s working hand-in-glove with the police … to give the police now the upper hand as they fight these gangs.” Vigilantism “is not the answer” to Haiti’s problems, Pierre-Pierre also wrote recently.

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History of this topic

UN publishes new death toll for massacre of older people and Vodou religious leaders in Haiti
1 day, 20 hours ago

UN publishes new death toll for massacre of older people and Vodou religious leaders in Haiti

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The United Nations raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti, and called on officials to bring the perpetrators to justice. Integrated Office in Haiti said in a report published on Monday that between Dec. 6 and 11 more than …

Haitians demand protection after gang leader massacres dozens of people to avenge son’s death
2 weeks ago

Haitians demand protection after gang leader massacres dozens of people to avenge son’s death

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A gang leader accused of killing more than 100 people in Haiti’s capital to avenge his son’s death was still persecuting residents on Tuesday, according to a rare witness account. Mackenson Cangé, whose father was among the victims, told Magik9 radio station that residents in the gang-controlled area said gunmen were still hunting down older people and …

Haiti gang kills 184 people over witchcraft accusation, UN says
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Haiti gang kills 184 people over witchcraft accusation, UN says

Al Jazeera  

The killings are a personal vendetta of a gang boss who believes witchcraft caused his son’s death, rights groups say. At least 184 people were killed over the weekend in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Haiti’s capital, the United Nations says, with human rights groups attributing the killings to a personal vendetta by a local gang leader. Haiti’s government …

Under assault by gangs in Haiti, a Kenyan-led mission fights back
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Under assault by gangs in Haiti, a Kenyan-led mission fights back

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — An armored vehicle carrying Kenyan police rumbles through Haiti’s capital with a shattered window that a high-caliber bullet failed to penetrate, a permanent sign of violence the officers face almost daily in Port-au-Prince. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print A Kenyan police officer part of a UN-backed multinational force runs …

Haiti wonders what’s next as gang violence surges and the push for a UN peacekeeping mission flops
1 month ago

Haiti wonders what’s next as gang violence surges and the push for a UN peacekeeping mission flops

Associated Press  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — When Kenyan police arrived in Haiti as part of a U.N.-backed mission earlier this year to tackle gang violence, hopes were high. Coordinated gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport had crippled the country’s capital and forced the prime minister to resign, plunging Haiti into an unprecedented crisis. Share Share Copy …

Haitian authorities say 28 alleged gang members killed by police, residents
1 month ago

Haitian authorities say 28 alleged gang members killed by police, residents

Al Jazeera  

Armed gangs attacked a wealthy suburb of the capital, police say, as part of an effort to bring down the government. The Haitian National Police have reported that 28 alleged gang members were killed by state security forces and armed residents in the latest clashes in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The police say that two vehicles carrying alleged gang …

Haitians leave their homes in several neighborhoods to escape more gang violence in the capital
2 months ago

Haitians leave their homes in several neighborhoods to escape more gang violence in the capital

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Haiti's police union said on its social media channels …

A gang leader in Haiti is injured in a shootout with Haitian and Kenyan police
2 months, 1 week ago

A gang leader in Haiti is injured in a shootout with Haitian and Kenyan police

The Independent  

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A gang leader in Haiti is injured in a shootout with Haitian and Kenyan police
2 months, 1 week ago

A gang leader in Haiti is injured in a shootout with Haitian and Kenyan police

LA Times  

A leader of one of Haiti’s most powerful gangs was injured in a shootout with Haitian and Kenyan police in their first major incursion into gang-controlled territory since a U.N.-backed mission began earlier this year, police said Tuesday. The second-in-command of the Kraze Baryè gang, known simply as “Deshommes,” was shot in Torcelle, a community the gang controls in the …

Brutal Gang Attack on Haitian Town Leaves at Least 70 Dead
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Brutal Gang Attack on Haitian Town Leaves at Least 70 Dead

Associated Press  

A week-long gang attack in Haiti has resulted in the deaths of at least 70 people, with the majority of victims being killed by gunshot wounds to the head. The attack, which took place in the Artibonite region, has left hundreds of families seeking shelter in an outdoor plaza in the nearby coastal city of Saint-Marc. The Haitian government has …

Haitian leaders oust police chief and appoint a new one as gang violence claims officers’ lives
6 months, 1 week ago

Haitian leaders oust police chief and appoint a new one as gang violence claims officers’ lives

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian leaders have ousted Frantz Elbé, the beleaguered director of Haiti’s National Police, following months of criticism that he wasn’t doing enough to protect officers under assault by gangs. A government official not authorized to speak to the media told The Associated Press on Saturday that former Haitian police chief Normil Rameau will once again take the …

Haitians scramble to survive, seeking food, water and safety as gang violence chokes the capital
8 months ago

Haitians scramble to survive, seeking food, water and safety as gang violence chokes the capital

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — As the sun sets, a burly man bellows into a megaphone while a curious crowd gathers around him. “Everyone give whatever they have!” the man shouts as he grabs the arms and hands of people entering a neighborhood in the capital of Port-au-Prince that has been targeted by violent gangs. “People living in the capital are locked …

Full scale of Haiti brutal gang violence revealed as children listed among victims
8 months, 1 week ago

Full scale of Haiti brutal gang violence revealed as children listed among victims

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The report released on Wednesday by the rights group …

A journalist. An army sergeant. An 80-year-old patient. Haitian human rights group details gang toll
8 months, 1 week ago

A journalist. An army sergeant. An 80-year-old patient. Haitian human rights group details gang toll

LA Times  

People take cover from gunfire during clashes between police and gangs near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, this week. A new report released by a Haitian human rights group details the horrific violence unleashed this year by gangs who kill, rape and maim with impunity amid a political vacuum. “This year it’s much worse, and it’s all about the …

A journalist. An army sergeant. An 80-year-old patient. Haitian human rights group details gang toll
8 months, 1 week ago

A journalist. An army sergeant. An 80-year-old patient. Haitian human rights group details gang toll

Associated Press  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A photographer slain in a drive-by shooting. A new report released by a Haitian human rights group details the horrific violence unleashed this year by gangs who kill, rape and maim with impunity amid a political vacuum. The report released Wednesday by the rights group found that among those killed were seven people aboard a …

Haiti gang violence deaths surge in 2024, UN says
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Haiti gang violence deaths surge in 2024, UN says

Al Jazeera  

Gang violence has eroded the rule of law and brought state institutions close to collapse, report finds. “All these practices are outrageous and must stop at once,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement released on Thursday alongside a report describing the “cataclysmic” situation in the country. Armed brigades filling a security void left by …

Gangs unleash new attacks on upscale areas in Haiti's capital, with at least a dozen killed nearby
9 months, 1 week ago

Gangs unleash new attacks on upscale areas in Haiti's capital, with at least a dozen killed nearby

The Independent  

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At least 12 bodies found after gang attacks in upscale Haiti suburb
9 months, 1 week ago

At least 12 bodies found after gang attacks in upscale Haiti suburb

Al Jazeera  

Bodies found outside capital, Port-au-Prince, as attacks by gang members have ravaged the country for weeks. The latest attacks have raised concerns that gang violence will not end, despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry announcing nearly a week ago that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created. On Monday, Haiti’s power company announced that four substations in the …

Haiti scandal: What we know about the massive gang takeover that has killed dozens and displaced 15,000
9 months, 1 week ago

Haiti scandal: What we know about the massive gang takeover that has killed dozens and displaced 15,000

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Gunfire, mass jailbreaks, and an absent prime minister The …

Haiti extends a state of emergency and nighttime curfew to try and repel widespread gang attacks
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Haiti extends a state of emergency and nighttime curfew to try and repel widespread gang attacks

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s government said Thursday that it was extending a state of emergency and nighttime curfew to try and curb violent gang attacks that have paralyzed the capital of Port-au-Prince in a fierce battle for political power. The operator of the port, Caribbean Port Services SA, said in a statement Thursday that it was suspending all operations because …

Kenya and Haiti sign agreements to try and salvage plan to deploy Kenyan police to battle gangs
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Kenya and Haiti sign agreements to try and salvage plan to deploy Kenyan police to battle gangs

The Independent  

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Haiti gangs vow to oust PM as they unleash gunfight in capital
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Haiti gangs vow to oust PM as they unleash gunfight in capital

The Telegraph  

Under a political deal concluded after the assassination of president Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti was supposed to hold elections and Mr Henry cede power to newly elected officials by Feb 7 2024, but that hasn’t happened. ‌ Thursday’s attacks came as the prime minister was on a visit to Kenya, which is moving to head up a multinational mission …

UN warns of spike in killings and kidnappings across Haiti as deployment of armed force stalls
10 months, 3 weeks ago

UN warns of spike in killings and kidnappings across Haiti as deployment of armed force stalls

The Independent  

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Haitians suffering gang violence are desperate after Kenyan court blocks police force deployment
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Haitians suffering gang violence are desperate after Kenyan court blocks police force deployment

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Radio stations across Haiti got jammed with calls just hours after a court in Kenya blocked the deployment of a U.N.-backed police force to help fight gangs in the troubled Caribbean country. Meanwhile, Haiti’s National Police is losing officers at “an alarming rate,” while those still in service continue to be overwhelmed by gangs, according to a …

UN human rights official is alarmed by sprawling gang violence in Haiti
1 year, 1 month ago

UN human rights official is alarmed by sprawling gang violence in Haiti

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The United Nations expert on human rights in Haiti said Tuesday that he is alarmed by the rapid spread of gang violence and the bleak future awaiting children in the embattled country. “An entire generation is seemingly being sacrificed by violence, and the future of a country is threatened by the dramatic situation faced by its youth.” …

Growing gang violence is devastating Haitians, with major crime at a new high, UN envoy says
1 year, 2 months ago

Growing gang violence is devastating Haitians, with major crime at a new high, UN envoy says

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Growing gang violence in Haiti is devastating the lives of its people, with major crimes rising to a new high, the U.N. special envoy for the conflict-wracked Caribbean nations said Monday. Between April 24 and Sept. 30, she said, the U.N. political mission “registered the lynching of at least 395 alleged gang members across all 10 departments …

Growing gang violence is devastating Haitians, with major crime at a new high, UN envoy says
1 year, 2 months ago

Growing gang violence is devastating Haitians, with major crime at a new high, UN envoy says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Growing gang violence in Haiti …

UN says number of people killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti rose 14% in recent months
1 year, 3 months ago

UN says number of people killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti rose 14% in recent months

Associated Press  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.N. said Thursday that 1,860 people were reported killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti from April to June, a 14% increase compared with the first three months of the year. The surge in gang violence remains centered in the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, with nearly 300 people alone killed or injured by …

Haitian police announce investigation into deadly church-led protest
1 year, 3 months ago

Haitian police announce investigation into deadly church-led protest

Al Jazeera  

Evangelical leader Marcorel Zidor led ‘hundreds’ of armed protesters into a gang-controlled area of the capital Port-au-Prince. Frantz Elbé, the director general of the police, said the investigation would help ensure “that such irrational acts never occur again”. In a press release on Monday, Elbé described how an “immense crowd” rallied behind religious leader Marcorel Zidor over the weekend, wearing …

Violent clash erupts as parishioners attempt to clear gang presence in Haiti
1 year, 3 months ago

Violent clash erupts as parishioners attempt to clear gang presence in Haiti

Firstpost  

The attack was filmed in real time by journalists at the scene, and several people were killed and others injured, Marie Yolène Gilles, director of human rights group Fondasyon Je Klere, told The Associated Press A powerful gang opened fire Saturday on a large group of parishioners led by a pastor as they marched through a community armed with machetes …

Gang in Haiti opens fire on parishioners marching with machetes aiming to get rid of criminals
1 year, 3 months ago

Gang in Haiti opens fire on parishioners marching with machetes aiming to get rid of criminals

LA Times  

A demonstrator holds up a Haitian flag during a protest in Port-au-Prince earlier this month. A powerful gang opened fire on a large group of parishioners led by a pastor as they marched through a community armed with machetes to rid the area of gang members. The attack was filmed in real time by journalists at the scene, and several …

350 Lynched in 117 Days, over 2,400 Dead Since Jan: Gang Violence Burns Haiti
1 year, 4 months ago

350 Lynched in 117 Days, over 2,400 Dead Since Jan: Gang Violence Burns Haiti

News 18  

More than 2,400 people have been killed in Haiti since the start of 2023 amid rampant gang violence, including hundreds killed in lynchings by vigilante mobs, the UN said Friday. “Between January 1 and August 15 of this year, at least 2,439 people have been killed and a further 902 injured,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in …

UN condemns recent gang attacks in Haiti as Kenya deploys recon mission to troubled nation
1 year, 4 months ago

UN condemns recent gang attacks in Haiti as Kenya deploys recon mission to troubled nation

Associated Press  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.N. human rights officials denounced Friday what they called the “extreme brutality” of gangs in Haiti, with thousands fleeing several neighborhoods in the country’s capital this week amid a surge in violence. The eastern African country has offered to lead an international force to help Haiti’s understaffed and under resourced police department quell gang violence, …

UN condemns recent gang attacks in Haiti as Kenya deploys recon mission to troubled nation
1 year, 4 months ago

UN condemns recent gang attacks in Haiti as Kenya deploys recon mission to troubled nation

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy U.N. human rights officials denounced …

Over 2,400 killed in Haiti gang violence since January: U.N.
1 year, 4 months ago

Over 2,400 killed in Haiti gang violence since January: U.N.

The Hindu  

More than 2,400 people have been killed in Haiti since the start of 2023 amid rampant gang violence, including hundreds killed in lynchings by vigilante mobs, the U.N. said Friday. "Between January 1 and August 15 of this year, at least 2,439 people have been killed and a further 902 injured," U.N. rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in …

Rights group urges rapid international intervention to end spiraling gang violence in Haiti
1 year, 4 months ago

Rights group urges rapid international intervention to end spiraling gang violence in Haiti

Associated Press  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A human rights group urged the international community on Monday to intervene quickly to end spiraling violence by gangs in Haiti as it detailed the brutal rapes and killings committed in the troubled nation’s capital. “The longer that we wait and don’t have this response, we’re going to see more Haitians being killed, raped and …

Thousands in Haiti march to demand safety from violent gangs as killings and kidnappings soar
1 year, 4 months ago

Thousands in Haiti march to demand safety from violent gangs as killings and kidnappings soar

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Several thousand people — their faces covered to conceal their identities — marched through Haiti’s capital on Monday demanding protection from violent gangs who are pillaging neighborhoods in the capital Port-au-Prince and beyond. Nacheline Nore, 40, said her two boys, ages 10 and 8, have to call her every day as soon as they step inside their …

Gang violence is tearing Haiti apart. Here’s what to know
1 year, 4 months ago

Gang violence is tearing Haiti apart. Here’s what to know

CNN  

CNN — The kidnapping of an American nurse in Haiti last week along with her young child has cast stark light on the Caribbean nation’s epidemic of lawlessness, where more than 1,000 people were taken hostage for ransom in the first six months of the year, according to United Nations figures. An ‘alarming’ cycle of violence Over the past two …

Chased from their homes by gangs, thousands of Haitians languish in shelters with lives in limbo
1 year, 6 months ago

Chased from their homes by gangs, thousands of Haitians languish in shelters with lives in limbo

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A gang rampaged through the Cite Soleil slum, killing and raping and setting fire to hundreds of wood-and-tin homes. If they go back, they’re going to be killed.” Some 79,000 people are temporarily staying with friends or family, but another 48,000 have crowded into dozens of makeshift shelters like Almicar’s or sought refuge in parks, churches, schools …

Vigilantes in Haiti strike back at gangsters with brutal street justice
1 year, 6 months ago

Vigilantes in Haiti strike back at gangsters with brutal street justice

Associated Press  

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Old cars, used tires and barbed wire block off the biggest neighborhood in the capital of Haiti. Vigilantes have killed at least 164 people since the movement dubbed “bwa kale” began in April, according to the United Nations. “It’s a good movement, but at the same time, the innocent are paying for the guilty,” Cégaire said, adding …

Haiti vigilante push ‘symptomatic’ of state’s failures: Advocates
1 year, 6 months ago

Haiti vigilante push ‘symptomatic’ of state’s failures: Advocates

Al Jazeera  

Gedeon Jean describes it as a “collective awakening”. The Centre d’analyse et de recherche en droits de l’homme rights group that Jean leads said suspects have been “chased, beaten, decapitated and then burned alive” by members of the grassroots vigilante movement – dubbed “Bwa Kale”, or “peeled wood” in Haitian Creole. “Citizens can’t really protect themselves … It’s the role …

Neighborhood fights Haiti gangs after vigilante killings
1 year, 7 months ago

Neighborhood fights Haiti gangs after vigilante killings

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Tired of relying on an understaffed police department, scores …

Suspected Haiti gang members stoned, set on fire by crowd
1 year, 8 months ago

Suspected Haiti gang members stoned, set on fire by crowd

Al Jazeera  

An Associated Press reporter at the scene in Port-au-Prince counted 13 bodies burning in a street. More than a dozen suspected gang members in Haiti were lynched and their bodies set on fire by residents in the capital Port-au-Prince, police and witnesses said, as the United Nations warned that insecurity in the city had “reached levels comparable to countries in …

Haiti’s gangs: What can be done to loosen their grip?
2 years, 4 months ago

Haiti’s gangs: What can be done to loosen their grip?

Al Jazeera  

On Wednesday, August 10 at 19:30 GMT: In Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, hundreds have been killed in recent violence that has left residents trapped in their homes as shoot-outs between rival gangs have cut off access to basic goods and health care. Gangs and criminal organisations have long wielded power over Haiti, but more than a year following the assassination of …

UN decries rising death toll, rights violations in Haiti
2 years, 5 months ago

UN decries rising death toll, rights violations in Haiti

Al Jazeera  

The UN says at least 234 people were killed or injured in gang-related violence from July 8 to 12 in Port-au-Prince. The United Nations human rights office has expressed concern about rising violence around Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, saying 99 people have been reported killed in recent fighting between rival gangs in the Cite Soleil district alone. “We have so far …

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