Armed individuals carried out fresh assaults in the agricultural Artibonite region of Haiti on Tuesday following a deadly attack by the Gran Grif gang over the weekend in Jean-Denis, resulting in the reported deaths of approximately 70 individuals, as confirmed by human rights organizations and local sources. Haiti’s National Police announced ongoing operations across various parts of Artibonite on the same day.
Residents of Jean-Denis tallied 70 bodies on Sunday morning following the assault by the Gran Grif gang, as reported by the Réseau National de Défense de Droits Humains (RNDDH), corroborating the estimates of the Défenseurs Plus group. The official death toll stood at around 16, significantly lower than the figures reported by RNDDH. The report also highlighted that about 30 additional individuals were injured, including infants, pregnant women, teenagers, and an elderly man.
According to RNDDH, armed men withdrew from Jean-Denis on Monday but regrouped in the vicinity of Pont Benoit on Tuesday, making efforts to launch another offensive in the town of Marchand Dessalines, situated approximately 19 kilometers to the north. Videos circulated on social media depicted armed individuals purportedly affiliated with the Kokorat San Ras gang, a close associate of the powerful Gran Grif, distributing money to residents in Marchand Dessalines.
The Gran Grif group has been officially labeled a terrorist organization by the United States and the neighboring Dominican Republic. Local residents informed Reuters that the community’s self-defense groups lacked the necessary firepower to resist the gangs, which typically refrained from violence during the day in the presence of police but escalated their attacks at night by engaging in shootings and setting fire to structures.
RNDDH revealed that the attack on Jean-Denis by Gran Grif followed weeks of threats, with residents relying on the self-defense brigade for protection. However, the brigade retreated due to insufficient firepower, leaving the residents vulnerable to the attack. The police response was described as limited, with armored vehicles arriving at the scene briefly before withdrawing on Monday.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé engaged in discussions with a UN delegation on Tuesday regarding the potential deployment of an augmented security force mission, which has faced challenges related to equipment shortages, troop deficiencies, and funding constraints.
This recent escalation of violence in the Artibonite region has raised concerns about the security situation in Haiti, with authorities and international organizations grappling to address the growing threats posed by armed groups in the area.