Gang war in Haiti leaves dozens dead; gasoline shortage deepens conflict

First modification: 07/14/2022 – 04:35

Of the people killed, the network reported that 21 of them were burned alive. “The partial balance of the armed attacks is very high,” assured RNDDH, who also criticized the fact that the Haitian National Police did not get involved in the confrontations, rejecting that silence is the response of the state authorities to the situation.

The NGO of the Caribbean country announced that last Thursday, July 7, at dawn, the attack began in the Nan Brooklyn neighborhood, belonging to Cité Soleil, in Port-au-Prince, by the coalition of armed gangs known as G-9 and Fanmi e Alye, whose objective is to evict the leader of the armed group G-PEP, Gabriel Jean Pierre, alias ‘Ti Gabriel’ or ‘Gabo’.

In the attack, 127 houses were destroyed, some with heavy machinery and others set on fire. The next day, approximately 47 people were killed, of which 16 were members of the G-PEP gang.

The RNDDH also expressed its rejection that the Government currently headed on an interim basis by Ariel Henry after the assassination of Jovenel Moïse last July 2021, uses armed gangs to establish a climate of “terror” in the country and that it also supplies the gangs supplies to carry out the attacks.

“To carry out this new war, the National Equipment Center (CNE) – a state institution – provided the G-9 and Fanmi e Alye with heavy machinery to destroy houses and build a passageway to the Jean Pierre redoubt,” the statement said. organization.

It is not the first time that this neighborhood has been attacked. In May 2020, 34 people were murdered, among whom 3 minor children and 6 women were identified. In June and July of that same year, several sporadic attacks were carried out: in those two months, 111 people died and 48 people were reported missing.

In 2021, again in the month of May, several armed attacks were perpetrated that caused the violent death of 44 people and left 7 missing.

Currently, thousands of people are trapped without food or water in the besieged town, according to information provided by a religious pastor who lives in the town.

The crisis deepens with fuel shortages

For three years, Haiti has faced a severe fuel shortage. In the face of the crisis, the price increases every day, since the informal market has taken over the business, selling at more than 12.8 dollars per gallon, more than double the price established for service stations, which for weeks have been closed, as are public and private offices.

This Wednesday large queues were observed outside the stations. Citizens came hoping to fill the tanks, but due to the lack of supplies, they took to the streets to block roads in the center of the capital of Port-au-Prince, where they set various objects on fire as a protest.

“Every time they want to raise fuel prices, they allege that there is a shortage. That is not true. There are stocks. There is no need to cause pain to people. They won’t be able to. If they are determined to raise oil prices, we will set the country on fire and everyone will disappear,” said one of the citizens participating in the marches.

Another group of protesters assured that they will continue with the protests, for which they warned citizens not to leave their homes with vehicles.

“I tell all the people to leave their car at home starting tomorrow. Any motorcycle will not be able to get out as we will block all the roads. Only ambulances, the media and the Red Cross will be able to circulate. We need to make a revolution because the country cannot continue (with this crisis)”.

Given the situation of violence by armed gangs, two ships loaded with fuel could not unload at the port in recent hours, since the trucks responsible for distributing to the service stations do not approach the terminal for security reasons.

With information from EFE, Reuters and AP