At least four people were killed and several injured when gunmen opened fire in a neighborhood north of the Haitian capital today.
The events took place at Tabarre 49 and most of the victims were motorcyclists riding on the road, according to local press reports.
The motives for the attack are still unknown, but the capital has been engulfed in a wave of violence for more than a year, sparking kidnappings and killings while armed groups contested the lands.
Armed gang violence is on the rise in Haiti
Since June 2021, the capital’s southern exit has been controlled by gangs, forcing the search for alternative routes to reach the country’s four southern departments by land, but these roads are also under the influence of gangs.
Human rights groups have denounced more than 500 killings and a similar number of kidnappings in the capital’s metropolitan area this year, where gangs operate with impunity.
For their part, the police have carried out several operations in recent weeks, arresting dozens of members of the gangs while killing others, but measures are still insufficient, according to experts.
Haiti has just over 14,000 police officers and 1,200 soldiers out of a population of about 12 million, while the gangs, which even recruit minors, are better equipped.
The government has asked for international cooperation to arm its security forces, but help has been slow in coming. (Latin Press)