Dozens of people were killed and homes burned in the small fishing village of Labodrie north of Haiti’s capital in the latest outbreak of gang violence, a local government official said Friday.
At least 42 people died in the attacks, including a 4-year-old child and members of his family, Joseph Louis Baptiste told Haiti’s Radio Caraïbes. Baptiste said the killings began over the weekend and were still ongoing as gangs moved to set fire to parts of the village and pushed toward the nearby town of Arcahaie.
Baptiste said the assault appeared to have been provoked by the killing in Cabaret of a local gang leader known as Vladimir, a member of the Viv Ansanm coalition. Viv Ansanm has been implicated in widespread looting and violence in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas and was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. Baptiste urged police to move to protect residents of Labodrie and Arcahaie.
Lionel Lazarre, a deputy spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Haiti’s police force has been described by officials as understaffed and underfunded and has struggled to contain marauding armed groups even with support from a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police.
Gangs have broadened their reach beyond the capital in recent years, overrunning once-peaceful communities and attacking towns outside Port-au-Prince. In October of the previous year, assailants wounded residents and set homes on fire in Arcahaie during an earlier assault.
International discussions have focused on expanding the multinational security presence and giving it stronger powers. Earlier this month, the United States and Panama voiced support for transforming the current multinational force into a 5,550-member contingent with authority to detain and arrest suspected gang members. Separately, a private security firm linked to former U.S. Navy SEAL Erik Prince is expected to deploy nearly 200 personnel from several countries to Haiti under a one-year contract intended to help quell violence.
Residents and local officials said the latest massacre underscores the immediate humanitarian and security needs in areas outside the capital. Relief and protection challenges are compounded by damaged homes, displaced families and ongoing threats of further attacks as armed groups contest territory.
The violence in Labodrie adds to a pattern of brutal, high-casualty incidents that have prompted calls from Haitian officials and international partners for faster, more effective intervention. Authorities and international forces have faced criticism from some local leaders and advocacy groups for failing to prevent civilian deaths as gangs expand their operations into provincial towns and coastal communities.
Details of the attack and the exact number of casualties were limited by access and communications difficulties in the area. Haitian officials, international partners and aid organizations said they were monitoring the situation and assessing needs for protection, medical care and shelter for displaced residents.