Gangs are infiltrating Haiti’s once peaceful central region, causing havoc and chaos in an area that was once known as the country’s food basket. A UN report released on Tuesday has revealed that only a few powerful gangs operate in Lower Artibonite, but they have managed to severely disrupt the communities due to a lack of police presence and basic government institutions. The report, issued by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, stated that Lower Artibonite is now ruled by fear, with daily incidents of murder, sexual violence, theft, destruction of property, and other abuses against the population.
The grim statistics are a testament to the deteriorating situation in the region. From January 2022 to October 2023, over 1,690 people have been killed and more than 1,118 kidnapped. In addition, more than 22,000 people, half of whom are children, have been forced to flee their homes due to gang violence, according to the International Organization for Migration.
However, the gangs’ impact goes beyond human lives. They have also targeted farmers by stealing their crops and livestock, blocking irrigation systems, and attacking agricultural lands. These actions have forced impoverished farmers to pay for access to their own farms. The World Food Program reported that by April of this year, nearly 12,000 acres of crops had been lost, leading to a spike in hunger. Approximately half of Artibonite’s population, which amounts to around 1.7 million people, is now at risk of starvation.
The UN report highlights the urgent need for a swift response to the crisis in central Haiti. It expressed concern about the delay in deploying a specialized international force, led by Kenya, to help the country bring gang violence under control. The longer the deployment is delayed, the more robust the response will need to be, warned the report.
Unfortunately, the situation has been further complicated by recent events. A court in Kenya has extended the block on sending police to Haiti, despite parliamentary approval for the deployment. This has left the region vulnerable to ongoing violence and suffering.
In response to the crisis, the UN has called for the deployment of more police to Artibonite, salary increases for police and justice officials, and sanctions on those who finance and support the gangs. The report also highlights the formation of self-defense groups in Lower Artibonite, who have taken matters into their own hands due to the absence of law enforcement. Armed with machetes and knives, these groups have engaged in vigilantism, hunting down suspected gang members as part of a civilian uprising known as bwa kale.
However, even with these efforts, the gangs continue to operate with impunity, and the police are severely outmatched. They have set up ambushes on the main road leading to Artibonite and launched multiple attacks on judicial and police institutions. One incident in January resulted in the killing of seven police officers in the town of Liancourt, triggering protests by other police officers in the capital.
The gangs have also targeted rival villages, resulting in over 100 attacks in 17 communities, with nearly 300 people killed. The UN report reveals the horrifying extent of the violence, including kidnappings, beatings with baseball bats, burning victims with plastic wax, sexual assaults on women and children, and even instances of elderly couples being slain in their homes.
The report also sheds light on the dire consequences for survivors of gang violence. It recounts the story of a 22-year-old woman who was repeatedly beaten, burned, and raped during her more than two-week captivity. Tragically, shortly after her release, she tragically took her own life, illustrating the lack of support available to those traumatized by gang violence in remote areas.
The UN report points out that the gangs in Lower Artibonite are backed by the powerful G-Pep coalition operating in the capital. They control over 50 miles of roadway leading north to the central region and coastal towns along the way. It also highlights the involvement of influential political and economic players who rely on these gangs to create instability, satisfy their political ambitions, control sectors of the economy, and facilitate illicit trafficking.
The situation in central Haiti demands urgent attention and action. The delay in deploying a specialized international force has only exacerbated the crisis, leaving communities in Lower Artibonite at the mercy of the gangs. Immediate measures must be taken to restore peace, security, and basic human rights to the region, ensuring that the population can once again live without the constant fear of violence and persecution.
