Haiti is a country that is facing a lot of problems because of gangs. Gangs are groups of people who use guns and violence to control parts of the country. But why are there so many gangs in Haiti?
Haiti is an island country located in between Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the North Atlantic Ocean. Haiti shares its island with the Dominican Republic on the eastern side of the island.
Haiti has faced multiple problems like the 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake which killed an estimated 220,000 people including members of the United Nations, floods, and hurricanes. After the earthquake, many self-defense groups would take over other gang’s land to collect more “turf.” With this, most of the violence is found in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince,and some of the surrounding areas.
Jovenel Moïse, the former president of Haiti, took office in 2017. During the first few months of his elected days the members of his government allegedly assisted in the massacres conducted by the gangs. They were said to provide government support in the attacks on Port-au-prince. In 2021, Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by 28 foreign mercenaries. The president was shot 12 times and had bullet wounds to his forehead and several to his torso. His left eye had been gouged out and bones in his arm and in his ankle had been broken, according to one of the judges conducting the investigation. These allegations and assassination fired up the gang war even more.
Jimmy Chérizier, also known as “Barbecue,” is a former police officer who became the leader of a powerful gang alliance in Haiti called the G9 and Family (G9 an Fanmi). This gang was formed in June 2020. He is accused of conducting several massacres in Port-au-Prince. Barbecue claims to be the leader of an “armed revolution” that fights against the government.
G9 and Fanmi are accused of the massacres of civilians in various neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, such as La Saline, Bel Air, and Cite Soleil. These resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries, and displacements of residents. Kidnapping for ransom (students, doctors, etc.), and blockades of roads and fuel terminals, which have caused severe shortages of gasoline, diesel, cooking gas, water, and other basic supplies in the country.
Like every other gang member, Barbecue and his gang were wanted for their crimes. Barbecue called on the government to grant him and G9 members amnesty and to void all arrest warrants against them. The government has not responded as police struggle to contain gangs that have grown more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
The Haitian authorities have not been able to capture the G9 and Fanmi and Barbecue due to their strong influence and firepower. The G9 and Fanmi are truly considered a major threat to Haiti’s peace, security and stability.
Works Cited
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Abassi, Logan, and António Guterres. “UN marks anniversary of devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake.” UN News, 12 January 2022, https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/01/1109632. Accessed 26 November 2023.
Gabriel, Jean Pierre. “Expansion, power and an escalating crisis.” Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 18 October 2022, https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GITOC-Gangs-of-Haiti.pdf. Accessed 26 November 2023.
“Haiti: Deaths and injuries amid gang violence.” ohchr, 18 August 2023, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2023/08/haiti-deaths-and-injuries-amid-gang-violence. Accessed 26 November 2023.
Ioanes, Ellen. “Haiti’s gang violence crisis, briefly explained.” Vox, 26 March 2023, https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2023/3/26/23657163/haitis-gang-violence-crisis-explained. Accessed 26 November 2023.
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(Coto) . “EXPLAINER: Who’s behind Haiti’s most powerful gang alliance?” AP News, 21 October 2022,https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-puerto-rico-haiti-port-au-prince-gangs-24b02571972a676c3bcc3d9a24dfc77d. Accessed 26 November 2023.