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Haiti is set to wake up on Monday with a new area under gang control, despite the state of emergency that has been in effect for over 100 days. The armed coalition “Viv Ansanm” has taken over parts of the Solino neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, escalating violence and displacing civilians. The Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H) had previously attempted to secure the area but were unable to maintain their presence, allowing gangs to launch a coordinated attack over the weekend.
The Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), Pierre Espérance, criticized the lack of sustained security efforts and called for a reallocation of funds from the Transitional Presidential Council’s (CPT) intelligence service to reinforce law enforcement. Espérance urged CPT members to demonstrate their commitment to addressing insecurity by redirecting their budget to support the police and military forces on the ground.
The recent attacks in Solino, Bas-Delmas, and Delmas 24 left several civilians dead and forced many to flee their homes. Espérance emphasized that these incidents could have been prevented if the authorities had reinforced the police and military presence in these areas after initial attempts in August to push back the gangs. He called for stronger measures to combat gang violence, stressing the need for better resources and risk incentives for the security forces.
The security situation was further compromised due to the withdrawal of police forces from the area for an official ceremony honoring Haiti’s national hero, Jean-Jacques Dessalines. The reduced security allowed gangs to carry out violent attacks, burning homes and terrorizing residents in Solino and surrounding neighborhoods.
In response, the security forces returned to the area late Sunday afternoon, managing to push back some of the gang members. However, the violence resulted in at least one civilian casualty—a young girl who was killed by a stray bullet while at home. Sporadic gunfire continued into Monday morning, with residents in the area still fearing further gang assaults.
Pierre Espérance reiterated the need for “zero tolerance” operations against criminal groups and urged Haitian leaders to move beyond symbolic actions and focus on strengthening security measures. He emphasized that reallocating government funds toward security efforts is essential to restoring order and preventing further loss of life.
