Gangs are continuing their violent struggle for control over communities in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The neighbourhood of Solino has been under siege since last week, forcing many residents to flee their homes in fear.
On Friday, gunfire echoed through the busy streets of the capital, with parents hurrying along, clutching their children’s hands as they made their way to and from school. The attack on Solino has been claimed by a gang coalition known as “Viv Ansanm,” which translates to “Living Together.”
Formed in September 2023, Viv Ansanm brings together two rival gang federations that previously regarded each other as enemies. Since February, this coalition has orchestrated large-scale assaults on vital government infrastructure, ultimately contributing to Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation.
Marie Yolenne Gilles, director of the Haitian human rights NGO Fondacion Je Kler, has observed that the gangs are becoming increasingly “arrogant” in their ambitions for control. On Friday, at least one U.S. airline temporarily suspended flights to Haiti’s capital after gang members fired upon a U.N. helicopter near the main airport.
Spirit Airlines announced that its daily flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince has been put on hold until Sunday “for the safety of passengers,” as stated in a message to The Associated Press.
The recent surge in gang violence throughout Port-au-Prince and beyond has raised alarms regarding the effectiveness of the security mission led by Kenyan police. U.S. and Haitian officials have noted that the Kenyan operation is hampered by insufficient personnel and funding, prompting requests for a replacement by a U.N. peacekeeping mission—though such missions are met with significant unpopularity in Haiti.
Leslie Voltaire, the newly appointed leader of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, held a press conference on Friday alongside other council members to address the escalating violence. Voltaire vowed that the gangs would face consequences, stating, “They will receive the response from the forces of order.”
Edna Gelin was forced to flee Solino with her two children and elderly mother. In tears, she recounted how “bullets were raining down in her courtyard and hitting the zinc roof of my house.”
According to a U.N. report, “the situation has worsened in the last three months, with more than 700,000 people now displaced in the country, and the political process facing significant challenges.”