Gangs control Large areas of Haiti

Port-au-Prince, Mar 28 (Prensa Latina) Over 15 Haitian social organizations asked the Government to decree a state of emergency in areas controlled by gangs and encouraged citizens to create neighborhood defense groups.

Platforms such as the December 4th Collective, Sant Karl Lévèque, the Haitian Council of Non-State Actors, and the Lawyers Collective for Human Rights Defense, warned of the “stunning increase in terrorist groups” and the “appalling cruelty” exhibited by members of armed groups.

The gangs commit murders and massacres in the neighborhoods, rapes, robberies and kidnappings to demand ransom from the under-capitalized population, they said.

They also denounced the trauma suffered by students with the progressive closure of schools and universities, as well as the looting in homes, commercial establishments, and the destruction of police stations.

Faced with this situation, the said organizations urged the Government to request help from any country willing and able to provide the necessary materials and equipment to fight banditry and terrorism, in order to avoid a civil war. They also encouraged the authorities to accept the assistance proposed by El Salvador and to ask the African Union for help.

Former diplomat Pierre Antoine Louis is counting on the solidarity of African countries in the face of what he calls “a mockery” of the nations which Haiti has asked for help since last year. He also believes that the Western powers implicitly demonstrated that they were not concerned about the terror imposed in Haiti by the gangs

The politician is currently working on a formal petition to the South African government, and considered that Rwanda could also help Haiti.

According to a recent report from the United Nations, more than 500 people have been killed in Haiti so far this year, and another 277 have been kidnapped. The UN has reiterated its call to the international community to deploy specialized troops capable of containing the armed groups. On this last issue, until now, no concrete response has been given.