A horrific massacre attributed to gang violence in Haiti has left 110 people dead, targeted due to allegations of witchcraft linked to the illness of the gang leader's son. Amid rampant gang control and increasing violence, the UN highlights the dire situation facing the Haitian population.
Brutal Gang Violence in Haiti Claims Over a Hundred Lives in Witchcraft Accusations
Brutal Gang Violence in Haiti Claims Over a Hundred Lives in Witchcraft Accusations
A human rights group reports the shocking slaughter of over 110 elderly people in Port-au-Prince, as a local gang seeks revenge after a leader's son dies from an undiagnosed illness.
In a chilling act of violence, at least 110 individuals, primarily elderly residents, were brutally murdered by gang members in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. This shocking report comes from the National Human Rights Defence Network (RNDDH), which claims the victims were targeted by a local gang leader following the death of his son from a mysterious illness. After consulting a voodoo priest, the leader was told that elderly locals practicing "witchcraft" were to blame, leading to a horrific spree of violence.
The United Nations has raised alarms as the death toll in Haiti from spiraling gang conflicts has now reached an unsettling 5,000 this year alone. UN human rights chief Volker Türk reported that the most recent weekend witnessed at least 184 fatalities, linked to the violence orchestrated by the gangs in the capital's Cité Soleil neighborhood.
According to eyewitness accounts, gang members stormed the Wharf Jérémie area, where they forcibly seized residents aged over 60 from their homes. Reports detail that the victims were shot or stabbed to death with brutal weapons, including knives and machetes, while others described witnessing dismembered bodies being burned openly in the streets. RNDDH noted that approximately 60 individuals were killed on Friday, followed by another 50 on Saturday.
While RNDDH states that all the victims were senior citizens, some accounts from other rights organizations mention younger individuals who tried to intervene on behalf of the elderly also fell victim to the violence. The gang leader responsible, identified as Monel Felix, also known as Mikano, is notorious for controlling the Wharf Jérémie area, which has become increasingly insular and lawless, complicating security forces' efforts to intervene.
This violent escalation unfolds against a backdrop of wider gang dominance in Haiti, where gangs control about 85% of Port-au-Prince and have expanded their influence into rural areas. With ordinary citizens increasingly caught in the crossfire of gang retaliations, internal displacement has surged, forcing over 700,000 people, half of whom are children, to flee their homes in search of safety.
The humanitarian crisis has been further exacerbated by rampant gender-based violence, as documented reports reveal gang members employ sexual abuse, including instances of gang rape, as a tactic to instill fear within communities. Despite the deployment of an international police force in June 2023 aiming to stabilize the situation, their efforts have been hampered by lack of resources and effectiveness in tackling heavily armed gangs.
Meanwhile, Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, tasked with restoring democratic governance, has remained mired in chaos and has yet to make progress towards conducting elections, leaving citizens to live in a state of despair and helplessness. As concerns grow over the ongoing violence, local and international voices call for urgent action to quell the crisis engulfing the nation.
The United Nations has raised alarms as the death toll in Haiti from spiraling gang conflicts has now reached an unsettling 5,000 this year alone. UN human rights chief Volker Türk reported that the most recent weekend witnessed at least 184 fatalities, linked to the violence orchestrated by the gangs in the capital's Cité Soleil neighborhood.
According to eyewitness accounts, gang members stormed the Wharf Jérémie area, where they forcibly seized residents aged over 60 from their homes. Reports detail that the victims were shot or stabbed to death with brutal weapons, including knives and machetes, while others described witnessing dismembered bodies being burned openly in the streets. RNDDH noted that approximately 60 individuals were killed on Friday, followed by another 50 on Saturday.
While RNDDH states that all the victims were senior citizens, some accounts from other rights organizations mention younger individuals who tried to intervene on behalf of the elderly also fell victim to the violence. The gang leader responsible, identified as Monel Felix, also known as Mikano, is notorious for controlling the Wharf Jérémie area, which has become increasingly insular and lawless, complicating security forces' efforts to intervene.
This violent escalation unfolds against a backdrop of wider gang dominance in Haiti, where gangs control about 85% of Port-au-Prince and have expanded their influence into rural areas. With ordinary citizens increasingly caught in the crossfire of gang retaliations, internal displacement has surged, forcing over 700,000 people, half of whom are children, to flee their homes in search of safety.
The humanitarian crisis has been further exacerbated by rampant gender-based violence, as documented reports reveal gang members employ sexual abuse, including instances of gang rape, as a tactic to instill fear within communities. Despite the deployment of an international police force in June 2023 aiming to stabilize the situation, their efforts have been hampered by lack of resources and effectiveness in tackling heavily armed gangs.
Meanwhile, Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, tasked with restoring democratic governance, has remained mired in chaos and has yet to make progress towards conducting elections, leaving citizens to live in a state of despair and helplessness. As concerns grow over the ongoing violence, local and international voices call for urgent action to quell the crisis engulfing the nation.
