Description: More than 70 people were brutally murdered and additional 19 critically injured in Haiti’s agricultural Artibonite region. According to local witnesses, the Gran Grif gang and its members were responsible for the attacks which caused more than 6 thousand people to flee their homes. Cities such as Jean – Denis and Pont Sonde were the flashpoints of the brutal violence which added to the 1.4 million displaced and more than 20 thousand killed in the Haitian gang war so far. The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) established under the patronage of the UN alongside national partners such as Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Kenya, Chad, Benin and Bangladesh is yet to become operational although with unpromising prospects for success. The UN previously reported that more than 26 gangs split into allegiances either to Gran Grif or Viv Ansanm, the two largest gangs in the country, operate with impunity across the country, constantly expanding their operational reach.
Impact: The Haitian gang crisis has been marginalized by the international community as a regional security and humanitarian issue, despite its vast socio – economic consequences. Haiti is effectively a failed state under control of armed gangs which regularly engage in summary executions of civilians, intergang confrontations and targeting of the national police force. Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm have become operationally independent, controlling large logistics routes across the country and maritime supply routes for sustaining their financing and equipment support. The GSF, which is expected to be deployed in the next couple of months, would likely continue to serve as a quick reaction force rather than a gang suppression force with limited results in counteracting the influence of the gangs. Violence would persist increasing the human death toll, intensifying the refugee crisis and the economic and social decay of the country, making Haiti a major flashpoint for criminal trafficking activities in the Caribbean.