Gran Grif Gang Kills at Least 16 in Haiti Attack

At least 16 people have been killed and 30 injured during a gang attack near Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite in Haiti’s Artibonite region, according to official estimates. The death toll reported by human rights groups is significantly higher, with some putting the number of fatalities at up to 70.

The attack began in the early hours of Sunday and continued into Monday, with gang members storming rural communities around Jean-Denis and setting homes on fire. Police have confirmed 16 dead and 19 injured, while civil protection authorities suggested a slightly higher toll with 17 dead. The United Nations estimated that more than 2,000 people had left their homes in the days before the attack following raids by armed gangs nearby.

The UN secretary-general's spokesperson condemned the gang attack, calling for a thorough investigation. The violence underscores the gravity of Haiti’s security situation as gang conflict spreads beyond Port-au-Prince. The Artibonite region, a key agricultural area, has seen some of the country's worst violence in recent years.

The Gran Grif gang is believed to be responsible for the attack, which may have been retaliation for attacks on their base in Savien by a rival armed group. According to human rights groups, around 6,000 people were displaced by the violence. The US has designated both Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm as terrorist organizations and offered a reward of up to $3 million for information on their financial activities.

The attack marks the latest in a series of massacres attributed to Gran Grif, with over 1.4 million people displaced by gang conflict nationwide, exacerbating an economic crisis and worsening access to food. Close to 20,000 people have been killed in Haiti since 2021, with the death toll rising each year.

The attack is believed to have been led by a commander known as 'Ti Kenken', formerly a leading figure in a vigilante group founded to protect locals from gangs. The ombudsman's office said at least another 19 people had sustained bullet wounds, adding that the continued presence of gang members was making it difficult to verify the number of victims.

Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, director of the Haiti Observatory at the non-governmental organisation Global Initiative, told BBC that the attack seemed to have been highly co-ordinated with roads reportedly blocked to prevent police from intervening. As often in such large-scale attacks, it was preceded by warnings and criticism has been mounting over the authorities' failure to act on these advance signals.