Haiti Report, August 5, 2024
A compilation of news about Haiti from the past week.
Prime Minister interview with CNN ends with shooting at General Hospital
Security forces protecting Haiti’s leader provided covering fire as he left a hospital in Port-au-Prince after an interview with CNN, in a stark illustration of the violence that continues to plague the gang-ravaged nation.
CNN had been interviewing interim Prime Minister Garry Conille at a hospital destroyed by gangs when repeated and long volleys of gunfire could be heard in a nearby neighborhood. Conille initially proceeded with the interview and did not remark on the gunfire — which is not an unusual thing to hear in Port-au-Prince. After the interview, officials and the CNN team were driven away in cars, with a few more shots ringing out at they pulled onto the main road.
According to a statement from the Haitian National Police and the Multinational Security Support (MSS), a Kenyan-led security force, those final shots were troops firing their weapons as the prime minister was leaving to “provide cover.” Afterward, the national police and MSS Force “followed up where the shots had been fired from the neighborhood and pacified the area,” it said. No one was injured and the prime minister was safely returned to his office.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/29/americas/haiti-pm-interview-shooting-intl-hnk/index.html
UN Reports nearly 1400 people killed/wounded between April and June
The UN has called for the deployment of international security forces in Haiti to be accelerated after a report that at least 1,379 people were killed or wounded in gang warfare and 428 people kidnapped in the country between April and June this year. “Service providers report receiving an average of 40 rape victims a day in some areas of the capital,” warns the new report from the UN’s office in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
While the number of casualties from the warring factions had fallen in recent months, the number of children being recruited into gangs and the rates of sexual violence were rising, the quarterly review said.
The Human Rights Service (SDH) of BINUH reported 1,379 victims of murder and injury, and 428 victims of kidnapping, for the last quarter (April-June 2024), according to a report obtained by Le Nouvelliste on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. "Between April 1 and June 30, 2024, the Human Rights Service (SDH) of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) documented 1,379 victims of murder and injury, and 428 victims of kidnapping; with men representing 77% of the victims, women 20%, and children 3%," stated the SDH of BINUH. "This report, which coincides with the beginning of the CPT-PM executive, indicates a nearly 45% decrease in murders and injuries and a 2% decrease in kidnappings compared to the previous quarter (January-March 2024)."
"However, the SDH is concerned about reports of a significant increase in sexual violence against women and girls in several neighborhoods and displaced persons sites in the capital."
According to the report, "the highest number of murders and injuries continues to be recorded in the capital (88%), mainly due to indiscriminate attacks by gangs on certain neighborhoods, but also executions by gangs of individuals suspected of collaborating with the police or 'self-defense' groups. Clashes between gangs and 'self-defense' groups, crossfire, or excessive use of force during police operations or patrols have also negatively impacted the physical safety of the population. Repeated strikes by magistrates and judicial staff continue to paralyze the justice system. Since the beginning of the judicial year, courts and tribunals have been functional for only ten days. 78 detainees died in Haitian prisons during the second quarter (29 in the first quarter), most due to illnesses caused by malnutrition."
The BINUH report also noted that "in this context, and following the trends documented throughout the first quarter of 2024, operations conducted between April and June by specialized police units to dislodge gangs resulted in the deaths or injuries of at least 236 members of the population. While most were hit by stray bullets during clashes with gangs, at least 45 cases involved excessive use of force by the police against individuals not engaged in acts of violence at the time of the incidents. Some victims were walking or selling their goods on street stalls. The SDH also documented cases involving elements of specialized police units related to allegations of murders of unarmed individuals, notably in Cité Soleil, at the Drouillard and Vincent intersections. According to an online media outlet and local sources, individuals were reportedly transported in vehicles to specific locations in the capital, such as the Maïs Gâté (Tabarre) neighborhood, and then executed by 'masked and heavily armed men.' Their bodies were then burned and dumped on piles of trash," the report stated.
"Allegations of criminal activities by Miragoâne's government commissioner, Ernest Muscadin, remain another area of concern. Between April and June 2024, the SDH documented five cases of extrajudicial executions allegedly carried out by him against suspected gang members and individuals involved in common crimes. In total, Ernest Muscadin is said to have killed more than 26 people since the beginning of 2022. Although he has admitted his involvement in these executions in the media, and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) has publicly criticized his behavior, no action has been taken by the authorities in this matter at the time of this report's publication, possibly due to his popular support. According to several testimonies, the government commissioner of the Aquin jurisdiction has recently reportedly engaged in similar practices, executing two individuals accused of theft," the SDH report continued.
The SDH of BINUH has recommended that the international community: keep Haiti on the international agenda and expedite the full deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission, in accordance with human rights standards as adopted by UN Security Council Resolution 2699 (2023); update the list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions for supporting, preparing, ordering, or committing acts contrary to international human rights law, as per UN Security Council Resolution 2653 (2022). The report also recommended that regional states enhance and increase inspections of shipments destined for Haiti on their territory, including at maritime ports and airports, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2653 (2022), which imposes an arms embargo. Additionally, the report recommends that the Haitian government, with international support, establish specialized judicial hubs to address mass crimes, including sexual violence and corruption, and urgently resolve the humanitarian crisis within Haitian prisons. The government, with international support, is also urged to implement a rehabilitation and reintegration program for minors involved in gangs, according to the report.
US Embassy Keeps Haiti at Level 4: Do Not Travel Advisory
The United States Embassy in Port-au-Prince is monitoring localized outbreaks of gang-led violence in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Gang-led violence, including occasionally intense gunfire, can occur in any area of Haiti and can involve risks of being struck by stray bullets. In the coming days, we advise particular caution when traveling through the areas of Pierre 6 and Carrefour Drouillard around Toussaint Louverture International Airport and around Port-au-Prince’s seaports.
The Embassy reminds all citizens that Haiti, including Port-au-Prince, remains under a Level 4 – Do Not Travel – Travel Advisory. The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti.
https://ht.usembassy.gov/security-alert-port-au-prince-31-july-2024/
Ongoing battle for control of Ganthier
When an armored convoy of Kenyan and Haitian police forces rolled into a rural hamlet east of Port-au-Prince amid an active gang attack last week, residents along a 14-mile stretch to the Dominican Republic border breathed sighs of relief. At the arrival of the tan-colored mine-resistant vehicles in Ganthier, heavily armed members of the 400 Mawozo gang fled into the bushes, and fleeing residents began plotting their return from the town next door.
But less than 24 hours after the first significant outing of the largely U.S.-financed, Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission got underway, the Kenyans rolled out without taking back control of Ganthier. What should have been a mission that inspired confidence in what an armed international force could mean for restoring security in Haiti is instead underscoring its shortcomings as a small, under-resourced effort.
Not long after the Kenyans left on Saturday, July 27 after spending the night, heavily armed members of the 400 Mawozo gang returned to the streets of Ganthier, pillaging homes and businesses and promising bloodshed. Their target isn’t just Ganthier, one of the last holdouts in gang-ridden Port-au-Prince, but neighboring Fonds-Parisien where local authorities had taken the drastic measure to stop transport cargo vehicles from crossing into Ganthier and falling into the gang’s clutches.
“Everyone in the area is panicking because of the messages, the threats the head of 400 Mawozo has been sending especially toward Fonds-Parisien,” said a resident, who asked not to be named. “The people in Ganthier ran to Fonds-Parisien and now they are on the run again. But there is nowhere else left to run.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article290546229.html#storylink=cpy
In another attack on Sunday, August 4, on the Ganthier customs office, not far from the Malpasse border, armed men from the gang 400 Mawozo set fire to an armored car that the national police used to patrol the commune. Contrary to the information that was circulating before, the police said that this armored car had already been broken down for some time and was parked.
Since Sunday, July 21, 2024, 400 Mawozo have resumed sowing terror and they have already killed more than a dozen people since July 21 in Ganthier, according to the available information. https://www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article30759
President of Transitional Council tells CARICOM life is back to normal
On the final day of the 47th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of CARICOM on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the President of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), Édgard Leblanc Fils, stated that the security situation "has improved" thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Haitian National Police (PNH), the Haitian Armed Forces (FADH), and Kenyan troops. He also called for increased international support to address ongoing challenges.
In his speech at the 47th regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of CARICOM, Édgard Leblanc Fils noted that the security situation in Haiti "has significantly improved." "It must be said that the situation has evolved positively as the national security forces (PNH and FADH) have made significant efforts. The initial operations carried out by the Haitian National Police and Kenyan troops have allowed us to regain control of the general hospital, the main hospital in the capital, and to secure the surrounding areas," stated the CPT president.
"Life is beginning to return to the streets of the capital and throughout the country, both in the North and the South. Normalcy is almost fully restored. About 80,000 ninth-grade students successfully took their official exams last week," he said, further noting that "these initial advancements are being made in a challenging context marked by the violence of armed gangs that occupy about 80% of the capital and the cities in the Artibonite department." https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/249468/life-has-nearly-returned-to-normal-in-port-au-prince-states-cpt-president
New Minister of Tourism wants to relaunch the sector
James Monazard, the new Minister of Tourism, informed the general public about the implementation of an inclusive governance policy within the tourism sector. The Ministry wants to listen to all stakeholders in the tourism sector, in order to find common solutions and ensure that the country becomes one of the must-see tourist destinations in the Caribbean. "We are applying our efforts to strengthen synergy in the tourism sector. No stakeholder in the chain will be left behind," promised Minister James Monazard.
To this end, the Ministry of Tourism organized, last week, a day of dialogue and reflection on the impacts of the security crisis on tourism, as well as the prospects for reviving activities in the sector, a cornerstone of the inclusive governance policy advocated by Minister Monazard, this day of reflection is only the first in a series of meetings to come.
Launching this day of reflection, Monazard took the opportunity to present to the various stakeholders in the tourism sector, the three fundamental pillars of its strategy which tends to consider tourism as an economic catalyst, promote cultural tourism as a flagship product and eco-tourism as a complementary product and target the Haitian diaspora. He mentioned two flagship projects in the short and medium term "Vakans Lakay" targeting the return to Haiti of the diaspora and "Haiti, we are back" aiming for Haiti's return to the world tourist map. https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-42899-icihaiti-tourism-towards-the-relaunch-of-the-destination.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Kenyan officer shot during clash with armed men
A Kenyan contingent officer was shot and injured on Tuesday, July 30, in Port-au-Prince during a clash with armed bandits. The commander of the Kenyan contingent announced the news in a press release, assuring, however, that the victim's life is not in danger.
"Today, 30/07/2024, at around 3:15 PM, an MSS patrol team patrolling the road from General Hospital to APN noticed a truck being attacked and looted by suspected gangsters. They observed that the gang had shot the driver while looting the truck loaded with sacks of rice. The patrol team immediately engaged the gangs after they started shooting at them. A Kenyan police officer was shot in the shoulder during the intervention and was evacuated to the 'Life Support Area' (LSA) hospital for treatment," the note reads.
"He sustained an injury to the left acromioclavicular joint with soft tissue damage. The officer is optimistic and in stable condition, awaiting further medical care. The gang members suffered severe, potentially fatal injuries, disappearing into the large buildings from which they were firing," the note concludes. This is the first report of a Kenyan officer being injured since the contingent arrived in Port-au-Prince on June 25.
https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/249418/kenyan-officer-injured-in-shootout-with-bandits
Increased Insecurity and Sexual Violence in the Artibonite
On the initiative of several notable figures from the region, gathered under the Komisyon dyalòg, rekonsilysyon ak konsyantizasyon pou sove Latibonit, hundreds of citizens from the fifth communal section of Saint-Marc took to National Road No. 1 at Pont-Sondé on Monday, July 29, 2024, to express their indignation against the government authorities and the general directorate of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), whom they describe as "careless leaders."
For about a month, the insecurity problem in the lower Artibonite has been worsening. “Every day, cases of theft, rape, kidnapping, arson, vehicle hijacking, gunshot wounds, and murders are recorded,” reported journalist Bertude Horace, spokesperson for the commission, highlighting that the bandits have set fire to the police stations in Petite-Rivière and Liancourt, abandoned by the Haitian state for over 18 months.
Sexual violence is a growing concern in Artibonite where cases of incest and an increase in sexual abuse against displaced people have been documented by a human rights organization on the ground. « I have been working since 2006 [in Gonaïves, the capital of the Artibonite department] and I have never seen a situation like this, » Louisette Vertilus, head of the Platform of Organized Women for the Development of the Artibonite (PLAFODA), told AyiboPost.
Between April and June 2024, PLAFODA recorded 43 cases of sexual assault, for Gros-Morne, L’Estère, Ennery and Gonaïves. Gangs, including Gran Grif de la Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, are formally responsible for many of these assaults. https://ayibopost.com/sexual-violence-is-a-growing-concern-in-artibonite/
People displaced by gang violence in Fontamara living in fish market
For about three years now, at the Fontamara fish market, a stone's throw from Martissant in southern Port-au-Prince, many families like that of Camille Joseph have been languishing in a makeshift displaced persons camp. "The night of June 1, 2021, will always be a nightmare for me. Armed bandits sowed terror in Martissant. Two rival groups clashed mercilessly. We fled with our families without leaving anything behind," says this father of five bitterly, who continues to make a living from fishing. Many in the camp have fallen ill partly because of the practice of open defecation in the sea. https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/249339/painful-living-situation-homeless-in-a-fish-market
Bandits impose lucrative tax system in Carrefour
The state is almost non-existent in Carrefour, but citizens are drowning in taxes. The two main police stations in the town of more than half a million inhabitants have not been operational in several months. The Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) and the courts provide services intermittently. Bandits control the area, and city hall is struggling to collect local taxes, Deputy Mayor Darline Joseph complains to AyiboPost.
The bandits, on their part, manage to impose a lucrative ransom system. At Carrefour, everything has to be paid for, according to testimonies collected by AyiboPost from residents. Companies, shops, and merchants pay the bandits operating costs. The gangs operate toll booths on the national road, at Fontamara, Truitier and Mariani. They have also set up checkpoints in almost every area within the municipality, as well as toll booths to extort motorcyclists, vehicle drivers, and shopkeepers. Two weeks ago, several Carrefour districts, including Brochette, were experiencing water shortages. An AyiboPost source in the area reveals that the gangs had taken control of the supply valves. https://ayibopost.com/bandits-impose-lucrative-taxation-system-in-carrefour/
Biden Humanitarian Parole program temporarily suspended
The Biden administration has temporarily halted a humanitarian parole program that has allowed nearly half-a-million nationals from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua to live and work in the United States amid concerns of fraud.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson did not specify what led to the halt. But sources familiar with the issue told the Miami Herald the decision is the result of fraud alerts involving U.S.-based individuals seeking to get their friends and family approved under the program.
“DHS has review mechanisms in place to detect and prevent fraud and abuse in our immigration processes. DHS takes any abuse of its processes very seriously,” said the spokesperson. “Out of an abundance of caution, DHS has temporarily paused the issuance of advanced travel authorizations for new beneficiaries while it undertakes a review of supporter applications.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article290696154.html#storylink=cpy
Nationals of Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela who have been authorized to come to the United States under a Biden administration humanitarian parole process should not be affected by an ongoing review of the program – unless they had their travel authorizations revoked.
On Saturday, travelers in some destinations were prevented from boarding flights through the federal program, which allows people from the four countries to live and work in the United States for two years.
The development came a day after the Department of Homeland and Security announced it would halt approving travel for new applicants amid concerns of fraud in sponsorship applications. Two sources at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince said airlines were acting on instruction from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article290743819.html#storylink=cpy
Haiti integrated into CARICOM reparations commission
Dominique Dupuy, along with Edgard Leblanc Fils, President of the Presidential Transition Council (CPT), is attending the 47th regular meeting of the CARICOM Heads of State and Government Conference in Grenada from July 28 to 30, 2024. “Following my meeting with Rector Fritz Deshommes regarding the establishment of a Working Group at the UEH on reparations and restitution related to slavery and Haiti's independence, we presented the case at the 47th regular meeting of the CARICOM Heads of State and Government Conference,” wrote Ms. Dupuy.
With this integration, the working group established by the rectorate of the State University of Haiti (UEH) “will operate as Haiti’s national committee,” Dominique Dupuy announced. Established during the 34th regular meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in July 2013, the CARICOM Regional Reparations Commission (CRC) consists of the chairs of national reparations committees.
According to CARICOM, the CRC’s mission is “[to] establish the moral, ethical, and legal arguments in favor of reparations payments by the governments of all former colonial powers and relevant institutions of these countries, to the nations and peoples of the Caribbean Community for crimes against humanity including genocide of indigenous peoples, the transatlantic slave trade, and a racially-based system of slavery.”https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/249423/haiti-joins-caricom-reparations-commission-dominique-dupuy-announces
More and more adolescents living with HIV in Haiti
It remains difficult to obtain accurate figures on HIV rates among young people in Haiti. Dozens of testing centers are closed or operating with difficulty in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area due to gang violence. But experts fear an increase in cases, due to the systematic sexual violence practiced by gangs. Changes in the sexual practices of young people are also a concern, in a context of economic precariousness, lagging investment in awareness campaigns, and occurrences of mother-to-child transmission. https://ayibopost.com/more-and-more-adolescents-living-with-hiv-in-haiti/
Waste Management challenges in Cap-Haitien
Seven days after Cap-Haïtien’s town hall cleaned the city’s indoor market, vendors and customers are still amazed at how neat it has remained. Despite some empty plastic water bags here and there, the floor was spotless on July 29. The city’s officials continue to receive praise from not only residents but also members of the diaspora online.
The cleanup project is arguably the town hall’s most well-received project of the year so far. However, it came with a major downside. The project is akin to a child cleaning their room but piling all the dirty laundry in a closet, as the cleaners piled all the trash outside the market corner where vendors are also stationed on Street 10 I.
The pile of trash is over seven feet tall and stretches across more than half of the street. The drainage system on that street is clogged, resulting in a black musty liquid on the floor. Outdoor vendors have been selling raw chicken meat, grilling it, eating, and drinking next to the pile of trash for about 24 days now. The pile of trash near the indoor market highlights one of the main reasons why the trash problem has been persisting in Cap-Haïtien in recent years: a lack of landfills in the city. One landfill Cap-Haïtien sanitary workers have been bringing the trash to is in Limonade, a commune about nine miles away. On top of insufficient garbage trucks, sanitary workers often confronted with lack of fuel to make multiple trips to Limonade on regular basis. https://haitiantimes.com/2024/08/02/pile-of-trash-near-cap-haitien-indoor-market/
ANALYSIS
Haiti’s Long Struggle: Military occupation, gang violence, and popular uprising, A conversation with Mamyrah Dougé-Prosper, Sabine Lamour, Georges Eddy Lucien, and Ernst Jean-Pierre
The mainstream international news transmits Haiti’s crisis as a problem of gang violence beyond the control of the state. But before Henry’s 2022 and 2023 requests, social movement and human rights organizations as well as social media activists had noted his crushing silence around the hundreds massacred and kidnapped during his term. Moreover, several independent reports have outlined how various national, international, and transnational actors, including state and other diplomatic functionaries, “manufactured” the chaos.
According to the National Network of Human Rights Defense (Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains, RNDDH), between November 2018 and March 2024, “gangs” led over twenty-five massacres and other armed attacks, involving the murder of over 1,500 people, the collective rape of over 160 girls and women, the disappearance of dozens of people, the maiming of hundreds of people, and the destruction of more than 450 homes, resulting in the internal displacement of more than 500,000 people. While at the beginning of this period, these armed groups acted in isolation and in competition with one another, in August 2020, nine armed groups federated under the leadership of former police officer Jimmy Chérizier, an effort commended by Haiti’s National Commission of Disarmament, Dismantlement and Reinsertion (Commission Nationale de Désarmement, Démantèlement et Réinsertion, CNDDR). In January 2024, Chérizier consolidated the rest of the gangs in the capital to launch a “revolution,” taking control of the international airport surroundings to prevent Henry from returning to Haiti after his trip to Kenya. Over the next few months, the group bulldozed police stations and prisons, burned down public hospitals, universities, and libraries, and killed several hundred people. They destroyed the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Disputes (Cour Supérieure des Comptes et du Contentieux Administratif, CSCCA) offices where government spending receipts are archived, including the dossiers concerning the PetroCaribe arrangement with Venezuela.
To replace Henry’s government, CARICOM facilitated the formation of a Presidential Council with seven presidents, all men, and the majority representing the Parti Haitien Tèt Kale (PHTK), in power since 2011. In May 2024, the Council’s first act was to confirm the international community’s commitment to pursue the mission, despite popular denunciation of the thirteen-year UN Stabilization Mission between 2004 and 2017 that enabled the arming of the gangs. The Council also sidelined people’s basic demands to “chavire chodyè a” (break with the system), formulated through the question “Kot Kòb PetroKaribe A?” (Where is the PetroCaribe money?).
The following conversation—featuring Sabine Lamour, Georges Eddy Lucien, and Ernst Jean-Pierre—pushes us to view current events in Haiti beyond a crisis resolvable through military occupation, elections, and “good governance.” Rather, the struggle in question is one of historical proportions, waged between the people of Haiti and the neocolonial state. The conversation asks not just: who are the gangs? But also, why the gangs, and why now?
https://www.phenomenalworld.org/interviews/haiti-long-struggle/