PORT AU Prince, Haiti, CMC – Members of the Temporary Anti-Gang Unit (UTAG) have been deployed as law enforcement authorities track down the members of the Gran Grif gang blamed for Thursday night’s massacre in a small town in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
Initial reports indicate that more than 20 people, including children, were killed and 50 others wounded as Gran Grif gang members rampaged through Pont-Sondé in the central Artibonite region northwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The attack took place, a few kilometres from the city centre of Saint-Marc, and according to Bertide Horace, the spokesperson for the Commission for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Awareness to Save the Artibonite, other neighbouring localities were also attacked by the bandits.
The Vice-delegate of the district of Saint-Marc, Walter Montas, spoke of “about forty people killed, according to the data collected” even as the authorities have not issued any official indicating the number of deaths due to the ongoing clashes.
Video footage shows groups of people fleeing the violence on motorbikes and on foot and government prosecutor, Venson François, based in Saint-Marc, called the attack a “massacre” in an interview with Radio Caraïbes.
Despite the presence of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, the criminal gangs, which have taken control of a vast majority of the capital, continue to instil fear in the country that has been without an elected government and head of state since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7, 2021, at his private residence.
The authorities have not said how many people were killed during Thursday’s massacre, with local media reporting that more than 50 and a Haitian human rights group put the figure at 20 or more.
Media reports describe Gran Grif as one of the most violent of Haiti’s gangs.
In January last year, members were accused of attacking a police station near Port-Sondé and killing six officers. It is also blamed for forcing the closure of a hospital serving more than 700,000 people.
The gang has about 100 members and has been accused of crimes including murder, rape, robberies and kidnappings.
According to a UN report, Prophane Victor, a former legislator, who represented the Artibonite department, began arming young men who eventually formed the Gran Grif gang to secure his election and control over the area.
Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on Victor.
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