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Situation in Haiti
- A shootout took place between gang members and Kenyan and Haitian police officers on 15 October, resulting in around 20 gang members being killed and the second-in-command of the Kraze Baryè gang being injured.
- The West and Arbonite departments have been plagued by assaults from the Viv Ansanm coalition since 16 October. One person was killed in an attack on 16 October in Magloire Ambroise street.
- Gang members opened fire at a commemoration of the assassination of Jean-Jacques Dessalines on 17 October at which members of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) were present.
- The same day, Tabarre was targeted by gang members carrying automatic rifles, setting houses on fire and forcing residents to flee their homes. Despite police interventions in the area, the situation in Tabarre has remained tense.
- Due to the unrest in the capital city, the swearing-in ceremony of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), held on 18 October, was moved from the Court of Cassation to the School of Magistrates. The members of the CEP were successfully sworn in.
- An assault was launched in Delmas 24 and Solino by the Bel-Air gang on 18 October, with houses burnt down and a young girl murdered. The attacks continued until the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Haitian Armed Forces (FADH) were deployed the following day.
- The unrest in Port-au-Prince since 16 October has displaced 4,201 people, bringing the total number of displaced people in Haiti to over 700,000.
- Former senator Guy Philippe has been mobilising people to protest against the current government and called for an armed uprising on 17 October. In Jérémie, hundreds of protestors took to the streets.
- The commune of Arcahaie, in the West department, was attacked both by land and sea on 21 October, leading to the displacement of 4,674 people. In L’Estère, in the Upper Artibonite region, gang members opened fire on a school, injuring several students and killing a parent.
- A police intervention in Croix-des-Bouquets in the night of 19 to 20 October led to the death of 10 gang members, as well as the seizure of arms and equipment.
- Reacting to the ongoing insecurity and violence in Port-au-Prince, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Me Carlos Hercule, stated that people should remain patient as the ongoing strategic preparations will take time to yield results on the ground.
- Hercule mentioned the presence of “dark forces” that armed civilians and children 20 years ago and continue to destabilise the country. He also confirmed that there would be a significant increase in the budget allocation for strengthening the Haitian security forces for 2024-2025.
- Hercule called for heightened security around Haiti’s Prime Minister, Garry Conille, as a response to intelligence gathered of threats that would target high officials.
- The death toll of the massacre in Pont-Sondé, which took place at the start of October, has risen to 115 people. It is expected that the number of casualties will rise further as bodies are still being found.
- There has been a lot of criticism against the authorities for the lack of intervention prior to the massacre, as the “Gran Griff” gang had warned of the upcoming attack on social media.
- The leader of the “Gran Griff” gang has threatened a new imminent attack on Pont-Sondé.
- Tensions between the CPT and government of Haiti have increased since Leslie Voltaire succeeded Edgard Leblanc Fils as the president of the council.
- 700 new police officers were appointed on 20 October.
- 169 Haitians were rescued from an overloaded boat which was taking on water south of the Turks and Caicos Islands and they were repatriated to Haiti. Earlier in the week, 32 Haitian people were intercepted on an overcrowded boat by the the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police.
- 13,703 Haitians were deported from the Dominican Republic in the first 13 days of October. Three Haitians who tried to illegally cross the border to the Dominican Republic were shot and brought to the hospital by Dominican military personnel.
- The ministry of health has mobilised support at the three main return points for Haitian expelled from the Dominican Republic: Ouanaminthe, Belladère and Anse-à-Pitre.
Situation on the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission
- Six officers from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force arrived in Haiti on 18 October. They will be coordinating the deployment of 100 Bahamian soldiers.
- Prime Minister Garry Conille went on a state visit to Kenya. His visit included reviewing the pre-deployment training of 600 police officers.
International situation
- The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, addressed the worsening situation in Haiti at the UN Security Council meeting on 22 October, with attacks perpetrated on land and sea leading to a catastrophic humanitarian situation.
- The executive director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, also addressed the Security Council, discussing the grave rights violations perpetrated against children in Haiti, including the recruitment of children by gangs to serve as informants, cooks, and sex slaves.
- The UN Security Council voted on 18 October to expand the arms embargo in Haiti to all types of weapons and ammunition. The arms embargo was previously limited to ““small arms, light weapons, and ammunition”.
- The UN Security Council also voted to extend the sanctions to prevent the flow of weapons and ammunition to Haiti.
Links of interest
A gang leader in Haiti is injured in a shootout with Haitian and Kenyan police
Gangs Launch New Attack in Port-au-Prince
Haiti – Elections : Swearing-in of CEP members (Video of Voltaire’s speech)
Guy Philippe back on the streets; Hati could declare famine soon
Rising Gang Violence Forces 5,000 to Flee Solino
Justice Minister Urges Patience in Response to Rising Insecurity
4,201 new displaced persons; Imminence of a new attack in Pont Sondé
Haiti – Croix-des-Bouquets : UDMO on the offensive, around ten bandits killed
Haiti’s Justice Ministry warns of threats against the prime minister and his Cabinet
The death toll in a gang attack on a Haitian town rises to at least 115
Appointment of 700 new police officers
Coast Guards rescue and repatriate 169 migrants to Haiti
32 Haitians intercepted at sea
13,703 Haitians deported; Arcahaie : 4,674 people displaced
3 Haitians shot and wounded at the Dominican border
Mass deportation : The Ministry of Health mobilized
MSS: Six Soldiers from the Bahamas Land in Port-au-Prince
Haiti PM visits the Embakasi APTC to review the pre-deployment training of 600 police officers
Maria Isabel Salvador: Haiti’s Security Remains Fragile, Humanitarian Conditions is Disastrous
Haitian gangs escalate violence and expand attacks outside the capital, top UN official says
UN expands arms embargo on Haiti to all types of arms and ammunition
Haiti – UN : Security Council extends sanctions and arms embargo on Haiti
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