RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Monday, August 31st, armed gangs attacked the Bel-Air district in the capital of Haiti. In the afternoon, armed militia dressed in civilian clothes opened fire and set fire to several houses, while people fleeing were caught in the crossfire. A crowd fled to the main city square near the National Palace and asked the police for help.
According to eyewitnesses, the police did not intervene in the Bel-Air attack. It is possible that the attack was directed at another militia. According to media reports, several people were killed and injured. Rifle shots could be heard in the evening. Many families are now camping out in the open for fear of further attacks.
Those affected accused Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérisier, the alleged leader of the Delmas 6 gang, as well as the G-9, a recently formed association of several gangs. A similar attack had occurred the day before, in which several people were also injured, according to aid organizations. Houses in the downtown area were also set on fire. A similar attack had already taken place in November 2019.
The security situation in the capital had spiraled out of control over the previous days. The murder of 64-year-old attorney Monferrier Dorval, who was considered one of the most respected academics in Haiti, caused particular outrage. He was shot dead outside his home by unknown individuals on August 28th. The day before, entrepreneur Michel Saieh was killed in his vehicle. The 30-shot attack took place in the middle of the day in the center of Port-au-Prince. The same day, radio host Frantz Adrien Bony was shot dead.
On the night of August 29th, at least three people died in the Petion Ville and Bel-Air neighborhoods. These murders are regarded as part of a new wave of violence and symbolic of the widespread insecurity. The police, therefore, raised the highest alert level. Despite this, the attack occurred on August 31st.
The United Nations Office in Haiti (BINUH) expressed concern over the wave of violence, particularly in the marginalized neighborhoods. According to the office, 159 people have been killed and 92 injured between January and June. However, local organizations have reported significantly higher numbers. The Défenseurs Plus group speaks of 400 Haitians murdered in the same period. Some of them were either set on fire or decapitated.
The group blamed gang clashes or fights between gangs and the security forces for the crimes. “These ongoing attacks, which affect all social sectors, are the consequence of the impunity that plagues the country, the irresponsibility of authorities, the citizens‘ inertia in the face of institutional instability and the political and socio-economic crises that the country has been experiencing for years,” the group said. It deplored the rise in executions, kidnappings, and arson attacks in neighborhoods such as Grand Ravine, Tibwa, Carrefour, and Cité Soleil, and called on the government to act.
Controversial President Jovenel Moïse denounced the violence and pledged to stop the spiral of violence. After the murder of Dorval, he spoke of a “machinery of insecurity” and “dark powers” and ordered a three-day period of national mourning.
While the government claimed that it intended to restore security, non-governmental organizations believe that it has alliances with organized crime. Pierre Espérance, spokesperson for the Network for the Defense of Human Rights, suspects that the authorities are supporting gangs operating under the alias “Barbecue”. The security forces used the gangs “to control the marginalized neighborhoods,” he explained.
The Office for Citizen Protection (OPC) also believes that the gangs are receiving support. “They are protected by some of the authorities, while the population is left to fend for itself,” explained Renan Hédouville of the OPC. Social organizations were alarmed by the union of armed gangs in the capital. They fear a rise in organized crime.