“This is not just another wave of insecurity; It’s been a drastic escalation and shows no signs of abating,” emphasize Miroslav JenčaAssistant Secretary General for the Americas in the Department of Politics and Peacebuilding.
The country is currently in its third year of political transition following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
“We are deeply concerned about Haiti’s slow progress in restoring democratic institutions,” Mr. Jenča said, stressing that “time is of the essence.”
The gangs advance
Earlier this month, on the day new Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime took power, “a series of shocking incidents occurred when four commercial aircraft were hit by gang-related bullets,” Mr. Jenča recounted, causing Port-au-Prince has a headache. The international airport is closed and access to the capital is severely restricted.
“This is the second time this year that armed gangs have taken advantage of times of political instability to tighten their grip on Port-au-Prince by targeting the airport,” he warned. , as armed groups stepped up their “well-orchestrated and coordinated attacks” further.
They besieged the capital and all approaches, and made territorial advances in strategic areas, currently controls about 85% of the country’s capital.
“They are also attacking the remaining relatively safe areas, increasingly including government buildings. and infrastructure,” he added.
Impact on civilians
Issuing a warning about the human rights of people in these gang-controlled areas, Mr. Jenča reported how “Predatory armed gangs systematically attack communities, using extreme forms of violenceincluding sexual violence, as a weapon to subdue them.”
“We condemn in the strongest terms the widespread sexual violence used by armed gangs,” he said.
He added that 20,000 people fled gang violence in just four days in November, adding to the 700,000 internally displaced people in Haiti and leading to “a staggering increase in the number of displaced people.” ”, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM).
‘It’s time’ to act
Amid the “serious and multifaceted crisis” in Haiti, “Strong international security support is needed now”, Mr. Jenča urged.
He is calling for more to be done to combat the trafficking of illegal drugs, arms and ammunition, to strengthen national anti-corruption and accountability mechanisms and for sanctions mechanisms to The United Nations sanctions against Haiti fulfill its potential to address this problem. root causes of gang violence.
It is time for us to translate our commitments into action to prevent any further erosion of security and state power in Haiti,” he concluded.
