Residents of Saint-Marc in central Haiti took over the local city hall on Monday. They are demanding immediate government action following a brutal weekend of violence.
Heavily armed gangs launched coordinated attacks in the surrounding Artibonite region. The assaults targeted towns such as Bercy and Pont-Sondé. Reports indicate that attackers torched homes and killed civilians, including women and children. Consequently, many families have been forced to flee their communities.
Warnings Allegedly Ignored
Local activists claim they warned officials days before the violence started. Chalesma Jean Marcos, a political organizer, spoke out during the protest.
He stated that bandits from Savien had threatened to seize Pont-Sondé and then move on to Saint-Marc. Marcos emphasized that activists alerted the mayor, the police chief, and other officials. However, authorities reportedly took no preventative action.
Police in the area have requested emergency backup. They acknowledge that gangs now control roughly half of the Artibonite region. Currently, a security vacuum exists because most police resources are focused on the capital. The UN-backed mission remains concentrated in Port-au-Prince.
The Gran Grif Threat
Authorities attribute the recent violence to the Gran Grif gang. This criminal organization is dominant in the region and known for its extreme brutality.
The group gained international notoriety after a massacre in Pont-Sondé in October 2024. That attack left at least 100 people dead.
Luckson Elan leads the gang. Both the United Nations Security Council and the US government have sanctioned him. They also sanctioned former legislator Prophane Victor. The UN accuses Victor of originally arming young men in the region, which fueled the rise of groups like Gran Grif.
An Escalating Crisis
Data from the United Nations shows a sharp decline in security. Between January and August of this year, 1,303 people were reported killed in the Artibonite and Centre departments. This is a massive increase from the 419 deaths recorded during the same period in 2024.
A recent UN report notes that gangs are successfully consolidating control. They are exploiting logistical gaps and the limited police presence outside the capital.
Terrifyingly, the perpetrators broadcasted their weekend attacks live on social media. As of Monday, a spokesperson for Haiti’s National Police had not yet commented on the situation.
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