Haiti continues to reel under the grip of unchecked gang violence, with the latest tragedy highlighting the dire state of the nation’s security and rule of law. At least 110 elderly residents in Port-au-Prince were brutally murdered over the weekend in a targeted massacre allegedly orchestrated by Monel Felix, alias Mikano, a local gang leader. The killings were reportedly fueled by accusations of witchcraft after Mikano’s son died from a mysterious illness.
The National Human Rights Defence Network (RNDDH) reported that the victims, mostly aged over 60, were accused of practicing witchcraft. Following the boy’s death, Mikano consulted a voodoo priest, who attributed the illness to alleged sorcery. In response, Mikano’s gang members reportedly seized residents from their homes in Wharf Jérémie, an area under his control, and executed them with knives, machetes, and firearms.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror as mutilated bodies were set ablaze in the streets, leaving the community in shock. While RNDDH reported that all the victims were elderly, other rights groups noted that some younger residents attempting to protect their elders also fell victim to the violence.
A Nation Under Siege
Haiti has seen a sharp escalation in gang-related violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The United Nations (UN) estimates that gang violence has claimed at least 5,000 lives this year alone. This weekend’s massacre in Cité Soleil is one of the deadliest incidents recorded, with the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, confirming 184 deaths.
The Viv Ansanm gang alliance, of which Mikano’s group is a part, controls vast swathes of Port-au-Prince, making security interventions challenging. Strategic areas like Wharf Jérémie are nearly impenetrable for the Haitian National Police (HNP) and international security forces due to the gangs’ stronghold.
Efforts to curb the violence have been insufficient. The Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM), deployed in June to support the HNP, has struggled to make significant progress. Underfunded and ill-equipped, the force has failed to combat the heavily armed gangs that now control an estimated 85% of the capital and large portions of rural Haiti.
Broader Implications and Humanitarian Crisis
The massacre underscores a grim pattern of escalating violence targeting ordinary citizens rather than rival gangs. In October, 115 residents were killed in Pont-Sondé by the Gran Grif gang, reportedly in retaliation against locals who joined a vigilante group resisting gang extortion.
The violence has displaced over 700,000 people, half of them children, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Many have fled their homes under the threat of violence, including sexual abuse and gang rape used by gangs as tools of terror.
Human Rights Watch recently reported that the rule of law in Haiti is so broken that criminal groups act with impunity, routinely violating human rights without fear of consequences.
Political Paralysis
Haiti’s political leadership remains paralyzed, further complicating efforts to address the crisis. The Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), tasked with organizing elections and restoring democratic governance, has made minimal progress. Leadership changes and internal turmoil have stalled efforts to stabilize the nation.
The lack of a functioning government has allowed gangs to operate unchecked, deepening Haiti’s descent into chaos. As Romain Le Cour Grandmaison of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime (GI-TOC) aptly put it, the council’s efforts are akin to “reigning over a mountain of ashes.”
Call for International Action
Haiti’s plight demands urgent international attention and resources to bolster its beleaguered security forces and provide humanitarian aid. As the death toll continues to rise, the world must not turn a blind eye to the escalating crisis in a nation already burdened by poverty, political instability, and natural disasters.
The massacre in Port-au-Prince is a grim reminder of the human cost of neglect and inaction. Without swift and decisive intervention, Haiti risks further spiraling into lawlessness and despair.
