Published on: 11.11.2022 – 18:55
More than 150 gangs are enforcing their law in Haiti against a powerless state. Most are based in the capital, Port-au-Prince, which they largely control. Massacres, stray bullets, kidnappings: the residents are the first victims of their violence. The editorial staff of France 24 Observers has carried out an investigation into their abuse, which can be found in a special: “Haiti: in the hell of the gangs”.
“My whole life went up in smoke.” On August 20, Jean Simson Desanclos, a human rights defender, lost his two daughters, aged 24 and 28, and his wife. On their way to university in a Port-au-Prince suburb, they were attacked by members of the “400 Mawozo” gang. “Nearby residents told me that they wanted to kidnap her and fought back: they shot at her,” he says.
This drama caused great emotions in Haiti, where the tributes to the three women on social media followed one another. The day after her assassination, Prime Minister Ariel Henry also advocated renewing his “Firm determination to fight uncertainty relentlessly”.
However, reactions at the highest government level are rare. In Haiti, authorities are accused of remaining passive even when gangs carry out large-scale massacres. From April 24 to May 6, clashes between gangs in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac in the Port-au-Prince suburbs and from July 7 to 17 in the commune of Cité-Soleil left hundreds dead. According to the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), a Haitian organization, the authorities “remained silent” and the police adopted “a non-interactive stance”.
Map of Port-au-Prince showing the main areas controlled by the gangs and the names of five of them, including the most powerful. © France 24 observers.
Behind the scenes of the show
This show was produced entirely remotely. France 24 Observer journalists Chloé Lauvergnier and Maëva Poulet contacted dozens of Haitians living at home and abroad. Some were already part of the France 24 observer network. Some of them had left the country to flee the violence. One thing led to another, we were able to collect testimonies from victims of gang violence. Most Haitians who agreed to speak, however, wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, so their voices and first names were changed on our broadcast.
Thanks to these testimonies and images posted on social networks – mainly by gangs but also by some local residents and the police – we were able to reconstruct several tragic events that happened in 2022. Witnesses have also sent our editorial team their own images, such as these photos of projectiles fired from weapons of war.
Lost bullets found by residents of the Solino district of Port-au-Prince. © Photos sent to our editors.
In order to verify the images of gang wars circulated on social networks, they must be dated and geolocated. However, the tools regularly used by our editorial staff are reaching their limits. The virtual navigation service Google Street View, which digital investigative journalists can use to identify streets or buildings, for example, only covers very few points in Port-au-Prince.
Using satellite imagery from Google Earth Pro, online geotagged photo-sharing software such as Mapillary, and matching information with local press and the observer network, several photos and videos were authenticated.
The map of the main gangs of Port-au-Prince, shown in the program, was also drawn up thanks to the information provided by our local contacts and by cross-checking with that of NGOs, the local press and the police. . .
The Observers reporters did not recruit any gang members. The theme focuses on the first victims of armed violence: civilians. In addition, many leaders of these armed groups are wanted by the Haitian police and internationally.
Jimmy Cherizier (aka “Barbecue”), who heads a federation of organized gangs “G9 family and allies,” is therefore cited by the UN as an appendix to a text of a resolution establishing a sanctions regime for Haiti. Jimmy Cherizier is found to have “committed acts that threaten the peace, security and stability of Haiti” and “planned, directed or committed acts that constitute serious human rights violations.”
Seven gang members were charged
On Monday, November 7th, the United States also announced indictments against seven gang members accused of kidnapping American nationals. The State Department has offered a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest of three of them: Lanmo Sanjou and Jermaine Stephenson, members of the 400 Mawozo gang, and Vitel’homme Innocent of the Kraze Barye. “Band.
The France 24 Observers editorial team has repeatedly called the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Culture and Communications and the Haitian National Police. Authorities did not respond to requests for interviews. We will post their replies when they reach us.
Many Thanks
Our editorial team would like to thank all Haitians who have helped make this program possible, particularly by sharing their contacts, images and helping to verify information.
Other program items: Emmanuel Belimaire / Kinouvel Media / Jordany Junior Verdieu / Dévelopage INFO / Jules Dieulivens.