Recent gang attacks in Petionville, Haiti, have once again highlighted the violence and insecurity in the country. The Viv Ansanm group, led by former elite police officer Jimmy Chérizier, launched an offensive against the affluent Port-au-Prince community, sparking clashes between the attackers and residents, aided by law enforcement.
At least 28 suspected gang members were killed in the operation, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized, according to Lionel Lazarre, deputy spokesperson for the Haitian National Police. However, it is unclear whether police were prepared for the attack or whether preemptive measures were taken to protect Petionville, given that Chérizier had announced his intentions via social media. Port-au-Prince residents were forced to walk among the bodies of the fallen attackers.
Eyewitnesses reported that residents were angry at the latest gang attack on their community. Some of the suspects were beheaded or amputated, before their bodies were bundled together and burned. The assault began early in the morning as two trucks carrying suspected gang members entered Petionville, blocking the main entrance to the community.
Chérizier had threatened to target staff at any hotels hosting fleeing politicians or “oligarchs.” The events come days after gang violence forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for the second time this year, as the country swore in a new prime minister after political infighting.
The violence has driven more than 20,000 people to flee Port-au-Prince in recent days, according to the United Nations. Gangs now control 85 percent of the capital and have been ramping up attacks on previously peaceful communities to expand their territory. The escalation of violence has come since the arrival of Kenyan police officers in June as part of a UN-backed peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
The United States has advocated for the mission to be replaced by a UN peacekeeping force, due to a lack of funding and personnel. As a result, security challenges in Haiti persist month after month, with no real solution in sight.