At least 20 people were killed while they were sleeping between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in an attack carried out by the armed gang Gran Griff in the Petite Rivière commune, Artibonite department, in Haiti, as confirmed by the Peace Initiative Committee of Artibonite (A race).
“They broke into people’s homes while they were sleeping. The images are the most cruel. Children have been killed while they slept. “What has happened is very serious,” he said. André Saint-Louisgeneral coordinator of A racean organization created by residents of the region to address growing insecurity.
According to St. Louisthe attack was a retaliation by Gran Griff after residents of the area, supported by the Haitian National Police (PNH), they killed several members of the gang.
The band Gran Griffled by Luckson Elan and supposedly supported by the former deputy Prophane Victorwas one of the most violent criminal organizations in Haiti.
Since its creation in 2018, and especially after its expansion in 2019, it has been dedicated to kidnapping people, vehicle thefts, looting of goods trucks, gang rapes and murders.
St. Louis described the brutality of the gang, which often throws the bodies of its victims into the river or burns them, making it difficult to determine the exact number of dead. Last October, Gran Griff carried out another massacre in the town of Pont Sondéwhere at least 115 people were killed.
In a context of growing insecuritythe return of the PNH to Little River and other areas of Artibonite It generated some hope among the inhabitants.
According to Saint-Louissignificant progress was achieved, such as the recovery of Carrefour Peillepreviously controlled by gangs, and the reactivation of the police station Liancourtwhich remained closed for two years.
These actions allowed some residents to return to their homes and resume agricultural production.especially rice, an essential product for the region.
However, the population demands that the police take the main bastion of Gran Griff before January 1, 2025, in the hope of celebrating the new year in peace.
“We wanted three things from the police. They have already done two of them, the third is that invade Great Griff’s headquarters to destroy it. Before January 1 we must get up to eat soup independently in a peaceful city, without gangs,” he said. St. Louis.
The attack of Gran Griff It is the most recent episode of violence in Haitia country immersed in insecurity due to the dominance of armed groups that operate with impunity.
Last week, in Cité Soleila populous neighborhood in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Princeabout 180 people, mostly elderly, were murdered by men led by Micanor Altesalias Of Mikano.
The attack reportedly occurred after Of Mikano accused the victims of practicing witchcraft that would have caused his son’s illness.
The situation of insecurity in Haiti caused massive displacements and the paralysis of essential economic activities in regions such as Artibonitewhile the international community and humanitarian organizations continue to urge the Haitian government to take more effective measures to restore order and protect civilians.
(With information from EFE)
