Haiti violence: gang guns down churchgoers protesting against criminals

Rights groups say churchgoers were killed and wounded as they marched in order to rid the area of gang members

t least seven people were killed in Haiti, a rights group said, after a powerful gang that controls a northern suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince, opened fire with machine guns on a protest organised by a Christian church leader.

Hatian rights group CARDH director Gedeon Jean said the final number killed would probably be higher, adding that several people were wounded and some churchgoers had been kidnapped, after they marched through the community on Saturday trying to rid the area of gang members. Local media reported at least 10 participants were killed.

Videos shared on X/Twitter showed about 100 people, many wearing yellow shirts associated with the religious group of Pastor Marco, marching in the suburb Canaan, some carrying sticks and machetes.

Canaan is controlled by a gang led by a man identified only as Jeff, who is believed to be allied with the “5 Seconds” gang.

Gangs have grown more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, and they are estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince.

Gédéon Jean, director of Haiti’s Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, said that he also watched the event unfold online and planned to ask the justice ministry to investigate.

He accused the pastor of being irresponsible because he “engaged a group of people and put them in a situation like this”.

The parishioners who clutched machetes and yelled “Free Canaan!” were no match for gang members armed with assault rifles.

“Police should have stopped them from going,” Jean said. “It’s extremely horrible for the state to let something like this happen.”

Comment was sought from Haiti’s national police.

From 1 January until 15 August, more than 2,400 people in Haiti were reported killed, more than 950 kidnapped and another 902 injured, according to the most recent United Nations statistics.

Fed up with the surge in gang violence, Haitians organised a violent movement in April known as bwa kale that targets suspected gang members. More than 350 people have been killed since the uprising began, according to the UN.

In October, the Haitian government requested the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force to quell gang violence.

The government of Kenya has offered to lead a multinational force, and a delegation of top officials visited Haiti recently as part of a reconnaissance mission.

The US said this month that it was prepared to introduce a UN security council resolution authorizing Kenya to take such action.

This piece was republished from The Guardian.