SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — More than 260 people were killed during recent gang attacks on two communities in Haiti’s capital, according to a report on Monday by the U.N. political mission in Haiti that questioned the delay in the response by authorities.
The report notes that during the first attack — in late January on Kenscoff, in the southern end of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince — it took Haiti’s military, police and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police roughly five hours to respond.
The report said authorities had received information about the attack and that the delay possibly underscored a “lack of alignment” between Haiti’s National Police and the government.
“The sequence of events in Kenscoff appears to indicate that the security forces did not initially take adequate measures to prevent the first attacks, nor to ensure the rapid deployment of specialized police units, despite reports of an imminent threat posed by gangs,” the U.N. mission said.
Staggering numbers
At least 31 people were killed, 27 others were injured and some 70 homes were burned before security forces arrived and repelled the gangs, killing at least 23 gunmen, the mission said.
Later the same day in the neighborhood of Carrefour, in the western region of the metro area, at least 30 civilians were killed in another wave of gang attacks.
Overall, from Jan. 27 to March 27, at least 262 people were reported killed and another 66 were injured in Kenscoff and parts of Carrefour, according to the report.
“This revealed once again the fractures and tension that exist between the prime minister and the police chief and the lack of coordination in the state’s response to the gang threat,” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.
The attacks also revealed the inability of police to react to all the threats they receive and process them to confirm whether they’re rumors or credible information that can be used to prevent an attack, he said.
A spokesman for Haiti’s National Police did not return a message seeking comment.
Among those killed from January to March were 147 suspected gang members and a one-month-old baby that gunmen threw into a fire during one attack, the U.N. mission, known as BINUH, said.
More than 3,000 people in those communities were left homeless, with gangs setting fire to more than 190 homes and raping at least seven women and girls, including a 41-year-old mother who was breastfeeding her baby and was gang raped, the report said.
‘Extreme brutality’
The gangs prepared for the attack by hiding weapons and ammunition in drums normally used to carry water and fuel and placing them on the backs of donkeys that walked through nearby hills undetected, the report said.
“Gang members displayed extreme brutality, seeking to sow fear among the population,” it also said. “They executed men, women, and children inside their homes and shot others on the roads and trails as they tried to flee the violence.”
Overall, from Jan. 1 to March 27, more than 1,500 people have been reported killed across Haiti, and 572 others injured, BINUH said.
Two journalists also have been reported missing in recent days.
The home of Jean Christophe Collègue, former correspondent for Voice of America, was set on fire, and he hasn’t been seen since, according to a statement by the Association of Haitian Journalists.
Meanwhile, a video posted on social media shows Radio Ginen reporter Israël Roger Claudy and his brother being abducted by gangs, the association said.
“Every journalist killed or missing, every media company vandalized or set on fire is an attack against democracy,” it added.
A fallen city
Gangs are estimated to control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, but many believe the city already has fallen, said Jake Johnston, international research director at the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research.
“For the vast majority, that threshold was passed long ago,” he said.
On April 2, thousands of protesters marched toward the offices of the prime minister and the transitional presidential council demanding an end to gang violence as they confronted police and were met with gunfire and tear gas.
“What it really shows you is the sort of level of frustration,” Johnson said. “Taking to the streets to protest in this context is obviously not a safe thing to do, but people are willing to risk their lives.”
The United Nations has warned that the mission led by Kenyan police is lacking funds and personnel, operating with only about 40% of the 2,500 personnel originally envisioned.
“What’s clear is that sitting around and waiting for more external help in doing this is not a viable strategy,” Johnston said.
