Overview:
The Gran Grif gang operating in Savien—Artibonite Department—killed over 20 people in the Petite-Rivière commune on Tuesday during a night of terror, forcing hundreds of residents to flee the area.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Armed bandits from the Gran Grif gang based in Savien unleashed a wave of terror in the Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite commune on Tuesday night, Dec. 10, killing more than 20 people, including women and children. The attack, targeting Rue Capois near Lycée Henry Christophe, a public high school, also left numerous homes destroyed by fire and hundreds of residents displaced.
According to local authorities, the attack began earlier in the day with a confrontation between gang members and police officers for control of a police station. By nightfall, the gang intensified their onslaught, burning homes, kidnapping, and attacking residents indiscriminately. Survivors reported harrowing scenes, including bodies lying in pools of blood and families fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs.
As of noon on Wednesday, the reports on the number of victims in the region were incomplete, as it is tough for journalists to access these gang-infested areas for coverage amid the violence and connectivity issues. Local and international media rely mostly on information collected from locals via WhatsApp texts or videos. It often takes days or weeks for government officials and human rights organizations to provide an exhaustive account of these attacks.
The Haitian National Police (PNH) confirmed to The Haitian Times that the gang assault took place but declined to provide details, citing ongoing investigations.
“We are still assessing the scope of the violence,” said Fequière Casséus, spokesperson for the PNH in the Artibonite department, adding that the PNH was gathering all information surrounding the attack for a press conference later.
Venson François, the government commissioner for the region based in Saint-Marc, also confirmed to The Haitian Times that he was aware of the attack carried out by the Gran Grif gang against the local community. Still, he could not provide a detailed account of what took place.
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“I am unable to confirm the number of victims at this time,” François said, offering no further details.
In the aftermath of the attack, videos circulating on social media traumatizingly show many lifeless and bleeding bodies of adults and children killed in their beds, others dragged in their blood outside their homes.
In recent months, the region has endured a series of brutal massacres, including several attacks between June and October, notably in hotspots like Terre-Neuve, Gros-Morne and Pont-Sondé.
This gang attack in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite is similar in severity to an October massacre in the nearby Pont-Sondé community, where more than 70 people were killed and over 3,000 fled for their lives. It comes shortly after the departmental law enforcement announced they regained control of the local police station on Saturday, Dec. 7. That station was abandoned for over a year after being looted, ransacked, and set on fire by criminal gangs.
Tuesday’s bloodbath in the Artibonite department also comes just days after the armed gangs led by the notorious gang leader Monel “Micanord” Félix, also known as Micanord “Wa Mikanò” Altès, in Warf Jérémie, killed over 184 people in the Port-au-Prince slum of Cité Soleil, bringing the death toll to over 5,000 for this year alone.
These two latest assaults add to the growing tally of gang violence plaguing Haiti, notably the West and Artibonite departments. Haitians in Haiti and abroad continue demanding decisive actions from the government and Haiti’s international allies to restore peace and security, as many, including some Haitian officials, call for the deployment of a whole United Nations mission on the ground.
“This attack underscores the urgent need for a robust law enforcement response and coordinated international aid to protect vulnerable communities,” said the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) in a statement reported by local media.
For CPT, the evil events attack the fundamental values of human dignity and the pillars of stability in Haitian society.
“In response to this tragedy, the Council has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation to identify and bring those responsible to justice. It is also committed to intensifying efforts to restore security and protect every Haitian citizen,” the CPT said.