Importance Score: 85 / 100 🟢
A newly released United Nations report indicates that a continuous flow of illicit weaponry into Haiti is intensifying gang-related violence and precipitating critical human rights violations. This influx of contraband arms is detailed in the UN report, published Thursday, highlighting the severity of the crisis in the Caribbean nation.
Surge in Fatalities and Injuries Documented
The report, compiled following a recent visit to Haiti by William O’Neill, the UN human rights commissioner’s expert on the country, reveals alarming statistics. Over a seven-month span, from July to February, the violence claimed the lives of more than 4,200 individuals, with an additional 1,356 sustaining injuries.
Rise of Self-Defense Groups Amid Gang Coalition Violence
While much of the brutality is attributed to gangs operating under the “Viv Ansamn” coalition formed the previous year, the report also notes a disturbing trend: an increasing number of fatalities are resulting from actions by self-defense groups and civilian mobs. Notably, at least 77 suspected gang affiliates were killed in November after armed individuals attempted an assault on a community within Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital.
Elevated Casualties in Law Enforcement Operations
The UN report further highlights the persistently high number of deaths and injuries inflicted by authorities during anti-gang operations. Police actions resulted in over 2,000 deaths between July and February, marking a substantial 60% increase compared to the 1,253 deaths recorded in the preceding period from February to July 2024.
Concerns Over Civilian Casualties in Police Actions
According to the findings, approximately 73% of those killed by law enforcement were reportedly gang members. However, a significant 27% were not linked to gangs, often becoming victims of stray bullets in public spaces or their residences. The report expresses concern over instances where police reportedly discharged firearms from armored vehicles in areas populated by pedestrians and street vendors.
The report also raises serious allegations of summary executions perpetrated by police against suspected gang members, their families, and individuals unable to provide identification or a satisfactory justification for their presence in certain locations when questioned.
Diversion of Police Firearms and Black Market Sales
A concerning revelation within the report is the significant diversion of firearms belonging to Haiti’s National Police. Nearly 1,000 police-issued weapons have been unaccounted for over the past four years. Credible sources suggest that some officers are involved in selling these weapons on the illegal arms market.
Requests for comment from a police spokesperson went unanswered.
Gangs Source Weapons from Private Security Firms
The report further indicates that criminal gangs are also acquiring illicit firearms from private security companies operating in Haiti.
Widespread Illegal Weaponry in Haiti
Overall, estimates suggest that between 270,000 and 500,000 illegal weapons are currently circulating throughout Haiti.
“The proliferation of these firearms has fueled a devastating cycle of violence across Haiti, leading to grave violations of human rights,” the report unequivocally states.
Challenges in Combating Arms Trafficking
The report underscores the persistent challenges in detecting and confiscating illegal weapons. These difficulties are attributed to severe underfunding and understaffing within Haiti’s customs and police agencies. Compounding these issues are insufficient resources, limited technology, widespread corruption, and inadequate oversight mechanisms.
UN-Backed Mission Faces Personnel Shortages
Furthermore, the report highlights that the UN-supported mission, spearheaded by Kenyan police to assist in combating Haitian gangs, is operating with approximately 40% of its anticipated 2,500 personnel.
The mission has already suffered casualties, with one Kenyan officer, Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, killed in February in Haiti’s Artibonite region. Another officer, Benedict Kabiru, identified by the Haitian government, is presumed dead after disappearing following a gang attack on his unit. The attack occurred as they attempted to rescue Haitian police trapped in a ditch believed to have been deliberately created by armed groups.