Haitians Blame Government After Massacre in Pont-Sondé

A Haitian mother sits with her child in a shelter in Léogâne following an escalation of gang violence. Credit: UNICEF/Duples Plymouth

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 11 2024 (IPS)

Last week, on October 3, a violent gang attack on the residents in the central Haitian city Pont-Sondé resulted in 115 deaths and spread fear among communities. This attack was described as one of the deadliest massacres in recent history in Haiti. Pervasive gang violence threatens to destabilize Haiti as the environment grows more dangerous by the day.

Pont-Sondé was once a booming center of commerce that bordered Haiti’s longest river, the Artibonite. It has since become a hotspot for gang activity with attacks and kidnappings becoming more frequent in recent years. The United Nations (UN) reported that at least 20 different armed groups are based in this region, including the Gran Grif gang, who were responsible for the attack on Pont-Sondé.

Last week’s massacre was particularly indiscriminate, as babies, senior citizens, and entire families were killed. Among those killed in last week’s massacre were entire families, babies, and senior citizens, showing just how indiscriminate the attacks were. On October 9, Myriam Fièvre, mayor of the nearby city of Saint-Marc stated that the death toll is expected to rise, as there are bodies that are in areas currently inaccessible to the authorities. This has alarmed Haitian authorities and humanitarian organizations alike, as attacks of this magnitude have not been seen outside of the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince, which has the highest gang activity in the nation.

“This is the most terrifying massacre in decades in Haiti. It’s definitely a show of force”, said Romain Le Cour, senior expert on Haiti for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. On October 4, Haitian authorities replaced the commissioner for the Artibonite River region in an effort to keep track of gang activity and deter future attacks.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that over 6,200 people have been displaced as a result of last week’s attack, with many fleeing to Saint-Marc and its neighboring cities. The majority are staying with relatives or host families, while around 750 people are seeking refuge in makeshift displacement shelters, such as schools and churches.

In the days following the attack, Saint-Marc had been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of displaced persons. Fièvre expressed concern with the increase in Gran Grif activity in surrounding areas.

There has been much public outrage among Haitian residents following the recent massacre. Prior to October 3, the Gran Grif gang had announced their plans on social media. Haitian residents are furious that authorities didn’t do anything to intervene and are blaming the government.

“I have to thank the government, because the gangs are killing people and kids cannot go to school. They’ve been announcing that they were coming a number of times on social media. The night that they invaded, there was nothing that they [Haitian authorities] were able to do”, stated morgue driver Lunoir Jean Chavanne, who had lost multiple relatives in the massacre. The UN has also been critical of the Haitian authorities, adding that their response was “inadequate and inconsistent”.

Earlier this year, the UN had announced its first contingent mission based in Haiti in an effort to eliminate gang activity and protect civilians. However, many Haitians have expressed their concern due to the protection measures primarily taking place in Port-au-Prince. “It’s going to be even harder to open multiple battlefronts”, Le Cour said.

The UN and its affiliated groups are currently on the frontlines of the crisis distributing medicines, hot meals, reproductive health supplies, and cash transfers to affected communities. They have affirmed their solidarity with Haitian authorities and are mobilized to scale up response efforts if required.

IPS UN Bureau Report