According to an analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG), gangs in Haiti continue to gain ground against law enforcement, necessitating muscular intervention from the international community.
Posted at 5:00 am
“There is no longer a security strategy that is worthwhile without increased outside help,” said Diego Da Rin on Tuesday in an interview with the country, which is closely following the development of the situation.
The National Police, which is trying to stem the spread of gangs, has already lost thousands of officers to an attrition problem that is likely to get worse.
“There are more and more cops leaving because they think they don’t have the numbers or the weapons to confront the gangs,” notes Mr Da Rin, who is alarmed to see criminal groups are now rampant Neighborhoods of the capital, Port-au-Prince, are vying for control over those previously spared, extending their influence to rural areas.
The populace often finds itself in a vice of territorial disputes between gangs linked to the G9, led by an ex-cop, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, and those united under the G-Pèp banner.
Several other gangs are also trying to make their way, adding to the uncertainty, notes Mr. Da Rin.
targeted civilians
A spokeswoman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Marta Hurtado, sounded the alarm about the situation in Haiti on Tuesday, revealing that about 530 people were killed and 300 others injured from early January to mid-March.
“We urge the international community to urgently consider deploying a specialized support force” with a “comprehensive and concise” plan of action, she said.
Ms Hurtado told Agence France-Presse that many of the identified victims were killed or injured by “snipers who allegedly fired indiscriminately at people inside their homes or in the streets”.
Mr Da Rin said these shootings are mainly observed in areas where “front lines” between gangs are well established, particularly in Cité-Soleil, the capital’s largest slum.
PHOTO RALPH TEDY EROL, Portal ARCHIVE
A child seeks shelter in Port-au-Prince after leaving school in early March.
Snipers are used to target civilians to convince the populace that the local gang cannot protect them and urge them to leave the targeted area.
Having people on your territory reassures you that you have power over something. Without people there is no more power.
Diego Da Rin, analyst at the International Crisis Group
Earlier this month, the violence in Cité-Soleil reached such an intensity that Doctors Without Borders (MSF) decided to temporarily close their hospital in the area.
The organization’s deputy chief of operations in the country, Quitterie Deschard, said on Tuesday that fierce fighting had broken out between the G9 and G-Pèp in the immediate vicinity of the establishment, and bullets had repeatedly fallen inside.
“It was no longer possible to ensure the safety of patients and our staff,” she explained.
Similar acts of violence occurred during the same period in downtown Port-au-Prince near an MSF emergency room, which had sustained up to 10 times more gunshot wounds than usual.
Ms Deschard’s Haitian colleagues, who had already fled their homes to seek refuge in a safer area, are now embroiled in the fighting in the city, testament to the expanding gangs’ sphere of influence.
PHOTO RALPH TEDY EROL, Portal ARCHIVE
Young people seek shelter during a clash between gangs and local police in the Haitian capital in early March.
Its members also frequently use sexual violence “as a weapon to terrorize, subjugate and punish” the population, the United Nations warned on Tuesday, which has also recorded almost 300 kidnappings since the beginning of the year.
The ransoms obtained through this system have become more critical for several gangs after sanctions were imposed on members of Haiti’s business and political elite accused of aiding their activities.
Canadian commitment
The actions of the Canadian government, which has targeted fifteen people for their alleged gang links, are “significant” and are likely to have a significant impact in the longer term, notes Mr Da Rin.
However, they won’t solve the gang problem immediately, notes the analyst, who wonders about Canada’s intentions regarding possible foreign intervention in Haiti.
Canada’s liberal government is under pressure from American authorities, who would like to see the country take the lead in such an initiative, but the Canadian Armed Forces are skeptical.
In a recent interview with Portal, Chief of Staff Wayne Eure pointed out that Canada’s commitments to Ukraine and NATO are already straining available resources.
The Federal Foreign Office did not respond specifically to questions from La Presse on Tuesday and limited itself to the fact that the government, together with its partners in the region, “will continue to look for ways to support the Haitian people”.
Mr Da Rin pointed out that Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s government is calling for such a mission, while key political opposition figures and civil society remain opposed.
The process launched earlier this year as part of an interim agreement to enable new elections to be held in 2023 and bring the country out of the political deadlock triggered by the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse is experiencing setbacks and could stall. , which is prolonging a period of instability that is playing into the hands of criminal groups, the ICG analyst points out.
“Gangs don’t waste time. As the political crisis lingers, they keep advancing,” he warns.