On September 11, in the commune of Cabaret, 40 kilometers from the capital, Port-au-Prince, the armed coalition Viv Ansanm carried out an attack that left more than 40 people dead. This was reported by Baptiste Joseph Louis, the local authority in Laboderie, in the Arcahaie municipality.

Survivors who managed to flee the scene of the terrifying attack reported that the bodies were left at the scene, while Viv Ansanm’s attackers burned down several houses. According to some reports, the attack was in retaliation for the murder of a criminal gang leader named “Vladimir” on September 7.

The NGO Defenders Plus, which has been monitoring the serious security crisis in the Caribbean country, stated that the crisis is organic in nature and not just a security issue, and that the solution must therefore be structural: “Faced with this dramatic situation, the Defenders Plus Collective demands that the interim government: Urgently implement protective measures by cracking down on armed groups; Capacity building for the National Police and the Haitian Armed Forces; Humanitarian and psychosocial assistance to victims (medical care, psychological support, aid to displaced persons).”

In addition, the NGO reported that the reason for the increase in violence is due to the criminal gangs’ interest in controlling trade and communication routes, which has led to more confrontation between groups interested in dominating territories in the Caribbean country. This has resulted in the displacement of more than 1 million people.

The increase in violence has cast doubt on the effectiveness of an ambitious plan sponsored by the United States to send troops from third countries to Haiti, especially from Kenya, to control the security situation. The United States has invested millions of dollars to finance the establishment and salaries of foreign agents, which has been criticized as a US strategy to control Haiti militarily without risking its own troops.

In this regard, Kenyan President William Ruto suggested the possibility of withdrawing his country’s troops in the next two weeks, when the United Nations mandate (which endorsed the incursion of foreign troops into Haiti) expires on October 2. Ruto has received significant criticism within his country for supporting the US-sponsored mission.

Haiti is facing one of the most serious security situations in its history. Several governments have been unable to resolve a security crisis that seems to be no closer to a solution after months of foreign troops being stationed in the Caribbean territory.

The post Violence in Haiti worsens appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.

From Peoples Dispatch via this RSS feed