In the capital and neighboring districts of Haiti, vigilante killings are on the rise. On Tuesday, a crowd burned five more men alive and dumped one of the remains next to a police station in a wealthy neighborhood.
According to witnesses in the crowd, the male victims were reportedly slaughtered after being transported alive from the Jalousie slum outside of Port-au-Prince. The majority of the corpses were left scattered along the street leading to the residence of the deceased former president Jovenel Mose, who was assassinated in July 2021. In the Petionville area, a fifth corpse was discovered next to the police station.
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Jean Marc Étienne, who saw the incident while seated in a park in front of the station, remarked, “It’s horrible for them to be killed in front of the eyes of the police.” He added, “That shows nobody is safe, that anybody can be killed.”
Authorities at the police station present chose not to comment when approached by the AP media in search of a response. Calls seeking information from a police spokeswoman went unanswered.
Recently the masses in Port-au-Prince and the neighboring regions have claimed the lives of at least 18, however, videos and images posted on social media give the impression that the actual number is greater. The majority of the photographs feature mobs beating up guys with heavy boulders and torching tires positioned around or over their bodies that have been doused in gasoline.
The UN reports a 20% spike in deaths from January to the end of March compared to the final quarter of 2022, and several Haitians have expressed their frustration and rage over the rising gang violence. In addition, there have been 637 documented kidnappings so far this year, a 63% rise over the last three months of 2022.
In regards to the vigilante killings, Étienne stated that “the police and the justice (officials) have to take control.”
As gangs raid homes, torch them, and murder residents in areas controlled by rival gangs, more than 130,000 Haitians have generally fled their communities.
The recent vigilante killings were denounced by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who also urged people to “calm down.”
He said, “The insecurity we experience is appalling,” and added that no one should be forced “into mindless violence.”
On social media, several Haitians have denounced the violence, arguing that accused gang members also have a right to live and that they should not be encouraged to join a vigilante movement.
Social media users posted images and videos of Haitians sharpening machetes and blocking neighborhood gates with large trucks as they vowed to eradicate gangs who, according to the UN, control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s National Police said in a statement that they are eliminating gangs all around the nation that are terrorizing civilians.
The UN’s special envoy to Haiti reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s urge for the speedy installation of a foreign military force. The UN Security Council has not responded to the request, which was initially made by the prime minister of Haiti in October.
