In a harrowing incident in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, a powerful gang targeted predominantly elderly residents in a shocking act of violence interpreted as vengeance for the untimely death of the gang leader's son. According to the National Human Rights Defence Network (RNDDH), the killings appear to stem from the gang leader seeking answers from a voodoo priest regarding his son’s death, only to be led to belief that local elderly individuals, many of whom were voodoo practitioners, bore responsibility for his son's illness.
Haitian Gangs Brutally Target Elderly, Killing Over 110 in Witchcraft Accusations
Haitian Gangs Brutally Target Elderly, Killing Over 110 in Witchcraft Accusations
Recent gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has led to the deaths of over 110 elderly individuals, accused of witchcraft following a local gang leader's grief.
The UN's Volker Türk reported that around 184 individuals were killed over the violent weekend that unfolded in the capital, with victims being seized from their homes in the Wharf Jérémie area. Disturbing accounts from residents describe how elders, mostly over the age of 60, were rounded up and executed with firearms, knives, and machetes, some being burned in the streets.
The perpetrator of these heinous acts is identified as Monel Felix, known as Mikano, who leads a faction of the violent Viv Ansanm alliance, which exerts control over vast neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince. This incident highlights the chilling context of pervasive gang violence in Haiti, which has been worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Over the past months, despite a temporary reduction in violence due to rival gang truces, competition for control over territory has led to catastrophic violent flare-ups, primarily targeting civilians. The International Organization for Migration reported that over 700,000 individuals, including children, have been displaced by the escalating violence.
Additionally, alarmingly, reports indicate an increase in sexual violence as gangs utilize fear tactics to dominate and control local populations. The situation is compounded by ineffective international intervention efforts, as the multinational security force in the country struggles to adequately tackle the entrenched gang issue.
As organization for democratic elections remains stalled with the Transitional Presidential Council in disarray, many Haitians fear the continued reign of violence and impunity perpetuated by these gangs. The recent killings underscore the urgent need for intervention, as communities are left to navigate a landscape marked by terror and lawlessness.
The perpetrator of these heinous acts is identified as Monel Felix, known as Mikano, who leads a faction of the violent Viv Ansanm alliance, which exerts control over vast neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince. This incident highlights the chilling context of pervasive gang violence in Haiti, which has been worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Over the past months, despite a temporary reduction in violence due to rival gang truces, competition for control over territory has led to catastrophic violent flare-ups, primarily targeting civilians. The International Organization for Migration reported that over 700,000 individuals, including children, have been displaced by the escalating violence.
Additionally, alarmingly, reports indicate an increase in sexual violence as gangs utilize fear tactics to dominate and control local populations. The situation is compounded by ineffective international intervention efforts, as the multinational security force in the country struggles to adequately tackle the entrenched gang issue.
As organization for democratic elections remains stalled with the Transitional Presidential Council in disarray, many Haitians fear the continued reign of violence and impunity perpetuated by these gangs. The recent killings underscore the urgent need for intervention, as communities are left to navigate a landscape marked by terror and lawlessness.
