Two rival gang leaders have signed a truce to end armed conflict in Haiti’s largest shantytown, a community leader announced on Thursday.
Haiti has long struggled with gang violence, but conditions deteriorated significantly in late February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
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These gangs control 80 percent of the Caribbean nation’s main roads and are responsible for numerous murders, rapes, lootings, and kidnappings for ransom.
Under the agreement between leaders of the G9 and G-Pep groups, roadblocks in the Cite Soleil shantytown, home to around 300,000 people, were removed, said Pastor Jean Enock Joseph, an influential figure in the community.
“A new stage has just been reached,” the pastor told AFP.
However, he noted that a similar truce signed in July 2023 fell apart a few weeks later.
Residents of Cite Soleil, like much of Port-au-Prince, have been unable to move freely within the shantytown, which was divided into zones controlled by rival gangs, for fear of being caught in crossfire.
The G9 and G-Pep gangs have not clashed since February when they joined a coalition to overthrow Henry. However, they maintained divisions within Cite Soleil until Wednesday.
Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, head of the G9 and a leader of the coalition, praised the “courage” of Cite Soleil’s gang leaders on Thursday.
Violence in Port-au-Prince has surged in recent months, triggering a severe humanitarian crisis.
According to the UN, nearly 600,000 people are displaced in Haiti, a 60 percent increase since March.
Following Ariel Henry’s departure, transitional authorities have been established to stabilize the country, supported by a UN-backed multinational mission led by Kenya.
The task is daunting in a nation ravaged by violence and corruption and without a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in 2021.
