Gangs are acquiring more territory in Haiti despite the presence of Kenyan forces

An early morning attack on Tuesday highlights the ambitions of members of the gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm

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The security guard thought it was « a coup d’état. »

For him, it was the only explanation for the sustained gunfire heard in Vallée de Bourdon early that Tuesday morning, November 19.

But moments after the shooting began, three young individuals rushed into the entrance of Garnier, just two minutes from Villa d’Accueil, the government’s workspace.

The youths, two of whom were heavily armed, stared down the security guard posted at Garnier’s entrance. The guard remained stoic, and the attackers continued on their way.

“I quickly realized they were bandits,” the security guard told AyiboPost. According to his estimation, the youngest of the group was perhaps eight years old, while the others were approximately twelve and thirty years old.

The security guard raised the alarm.

Within minutes, his colleagues, the police, and the local neighborhood brigade began pursuing the fugitives.

According to Lionel Lazarre, a police spokesperson interviewed by AyiboPost, around thirty gang members were killed in the ensuing morning clash.

The authorities also seized three Kalashnikovs, a generator, a drone, and several hundred rounds of ammunition.

The police reported that the gang members, traveling in two vehicles, were heading to Pétion-Ville when they were intercepted.

The security guard, armed with a hunting rifle, apprehended one of the attackers with the help of local residents.

When questioned, the unarmed child said he was from Village de Dieu. According to his account, he was « sent on a mission » to Pétion-Ville and Delmas by a commander named Didier or Didi.

The crowd killed the child and set his body on fire, according to two witnesses interviewed by AyiboPost.

Another group of gang members, cornered in Djobel, a locality near Vallée de Bourdon, opened fire on the population.

the unarmed child said he was from Village de Dieu. According to his account, he was « sent on a mission » to Pétion-Ville and Delmas by a commander named Didier or Didi.

Two citizens were killed on the spot, and at least one other was taken to the hospital, according to a witness.

Around 4:00 a.m., the police began searching every house in Vallée de Bourdon to locate the gang members.

Neighboring areas such as Canapé Vert and Turgeau also joined in the pursuit of gang members, in a capital city boiling with tension just days after the swearing-in of a new Prime Minister and cabinet.

This failed attack, attributed by police to Viv Ansanm—led by Jimmy Cherizier—demonstrates the ambition of Haiti’s largest gang coalition.

The former policeman turned gang leader called yesterday for the resignation of the Transitional Presidential Council in a video.

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Three members of the council, presided over by Leslie Voltaire of Fanmi Lavalas, are implicated in a corruption scandal, according to an October report by the Anti-Corruption Unit.

The council had sought a cabinet reshuffle, which was denied by former Prime Minister Garry Conille. Conille was replaced by businessman Alix Didier Fils Aimé this November.

Viv Ansanm had launched a rare and violent attack on public institutions earlier in the year. In March, they shut down the airport and broke into two of Port-au-Prince’s largest prisons, freeing thousands of inmates.

The Prime Minister at the time, Ariel Henry, was forced to resign.

In June, a contingent of Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti to help local law enforcement restore order.

Five months later, the gangs continue to assault the population.

At least 700,000 citizens have been displaced, and more than 1,740 people were killed or injured between July and September 2024, according to the United Nations.

At least three planes were hit by gunfire near Toussaint Louverture International Airport last week, prompting U.S. authorities to suspend flights between the United States and Haiti for a month.

This suspension, along with the airport’s paralysis, has further isolated Haiti—a country where the majority of local consumption relies on imports—at a time when the nation’s most important port is regularly attacked by gangs.

Weapons, mostly of U.S. origin, according to a recent report, are enabling gangs to cripple the country.

“These gangs are terrorists,” Pierre Espérance, Executive Director of the National Human Rights Defense Network, told AyiboPost.

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Espérance called on the new government to equip law enforcement and reactivate key state institutions.

“Every time the police arrest gang members, they’re released by the judiciary, which plays a significant role in the gangsterization of the country,” said the human rights advocate.

The insecurity is spreading beyond the capital.

On October 10, members of the gang Kokorat san ras, operating in La Croix-Périsse, kidnapped two government employees.

On November 6, members of this gang attacked the Congregational Presbyterian School in Estère, killing one person and wounding at least two others.

At least 700,000 citizens have been displaced, and more than 1,740 people were killed or injured between July and September 2024, according to the United Nations.

Since October 10, the gang from Canaan has been attacking the commune of Arcahaie, forcing over 21,000 people to flee the area.

Viv Ansanm—linked to drug trafficking, according to reports—continues to seize new territories.

The Solino slum is among the areas newly captured by the gang coalition in November.

One of the most violent assaults on this area began on Saturday, October 26.

Solino was targeted because it provides access to other parts of Port-au-Prince, such as Nazon and parts of Delmas, according to Jelin Esaï Jules, a former community leader from the area.

Jules fled Solino in August to emigrate to the United States due to the attacks. His father died in September 2023 during one of these assaults.

In November, gangs burned Jules’ house, forcing his mother and several family members to flee.

The gang members set hundreds of houses on fire, according to aerial footage obtained by AyiboPost. Several civilians and at least one police officer were killed in the process.

Solino, houses set on fire by bandits.©Ayibopost

On October 23, the local humanitarian organization Comité central, coordinated by Genson Jean Baptiste, reported 10,000 displaced individuals in various camps to AyiboPost.

In a November 8 report, the United Nations estimated the number of displaced individuals at 12,619 for Solino, Tabarre, and Fort National combined.

Solino, houses set on fire by bandits. ©Ayibopost

A 27-year-old security guard was shot on August 27 while trying to defend Solino.

“I was chasing the gang members alongside the police,” he told AyiboPost.

The gang members set hundreds of houses on fire, according to aerial footage obtained by AyiboPost. Several civilians and at least one police officer were killed in the process.

Solino, houses set on fire by bandits. ©Ayibopost

A blacksmith who lived in Solino for 32 years was also forced to join the resistance.

“I was born in Haiti, and I have no intention of leaving the country,” he told AyiboPost. “Even if I’m the last one among us left alive, I will stay to fight the gangs.”

By Widlore Mérancourt & Jérôme Wendy Norestyl