At least 70 individuals lost their lives, and 30 sustained injuries in an assault near Petite-Rivière within Haiti’s Artibonite region, according to a human rights organization. These figures significantly surpass the official count of about 16 casualties. Residents and authorities informed local media that the attack commenced in the early hours of Sunday in rural settlements around Jean-Denis, persisting until early Monday as gang members invaded the area, setting ablaze numerous residences.
Défenseurs Plus, a rights group, estimated that approximately 6,000 people were forced to flee due to the violence. The United Nations reported that over 2,000 individuals had already evacuated their homes in preceding days following armed gang incursions nearby. Initially, law enforcement indicated 16 fatalities and 10 injuries, while civil protection authorities’ preliminary assessment suggested 17 deaths and 19 wounded, predominantly males.
A spokesperson for the United Nations secretary general mentioned during a press briefing that the organization’s office in Haiti, BINUH, closely monitored the situation, with death toll estimates ranging from 10 to 80 individuals. An urgent call for a thorough investigation was made in light of these events.
Défenseurs Plus, in a joint statement with the Collective to Save the Artibonite, criticized the authorities for what they termed a failure to provide security and protect Artibonite from armed groups. The audio message linked to Gran Grif leader Luckson Elan suggested that the attack was spurred by retaliatory motives following assaults on their Savien base by a rival armed faction.
The Artibonite department, recognized for its agricultural significance, has been a hotspot for severe violence in Haiti. Despite intensified policing efforts and promises of enhanced foreign support for Haiti’s security forces, gang conflicts have spread beyond the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s National Police disclosed deploying three armored vehicles, which encountered obstacles due to road holes dug by gang members to impede progress. As police arrived, the armed group was seen fleeing the scene, leaving several residences engulfed in flames. The wounded were transported to a local hospital, while the deceased were taken to two morgues. A pursuit operation was initiated to track down the fleeing gang members.
Défenseurs Plus estimated that around 50 houses were destroyed in the violent episode. The ongoing crisis in Haiti has led to a significant number of casualties, with a recent UN report citing close to 20,000 deaths since 2021, attributing the rise to clashes between increasingly autonomous and potent armed gangs, security forces, and local vigilante groups.
Designating Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm as terrorist organizations, Washington has accused them of various heinous crimes, prompting the U.S. government to offer a reward of up to $3 million US for information on their financial activities. The recent attack in the Artibonite region adds to a series of massacres in the area, largely linked to Gran Grif, underscoring the severe impact of armed gang violence on Haiti’s population and economy.