In a horrifying incident, members of the Gran Grif gang have killed at least 70 people, including three infants, in an attack on Pont-Sonde, which is located in Haiti’s Artibonite department. Reveals United Nations.
Armed with automatic rifles, the gang stormed the town early Thursday, causing widespread destruction. Reports UN’s Human Rights Office’s spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan. Reports Reuters.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 16 individuals sustained serious injuries, including two gang members who were wounded in a shootout with Haitian police. Further, the gang also set ablaze 45 homes and 34 vehicles, forcing numerous residents to flee for their lives.
Condemning the attack on X, Prime Minister Garry Conille said “This heinous crime against defenseless women, men, and children is an assault not only on the victims but on the entire Haitian nation.”
Aujourd’hui, une fois de plus, une fois de trop, nous faisons face à la lâcheté la plus absolue. Une attaque brutale, sans raison, a frappé des citoyens innocents à Pont Sondé. Ce crime odieux, perpétré contre des femmes, des hommes, et des enfants sans défense, n’est pas…
— Garry Conille (@ConilleGarry) October 4, 2024
He assured that security forces are enhancing their intervention efforts, with international support. In a social media audio message, Gran Grif leader Luckson Elan, who was sanctioned by the UN last month, deflected responsibility for the massacre, placing blame on both the residents of Pont-Sonde and the government, saying “What happened is the state’s fault, and the residents are complicit for standing by while my soldiers were killed.”
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Haiti continues to escalate, with over 700,000 people displaced by ongoing conflict—almost double the number from six months ago.
Despite a partial deployment of a UN-backed mission to assist Haitian police, the resources provided are significantly below what was promised. Haiti’s government has requested an expansion of the mission into a formal UN peacekeeping operation; however, this proposal has been blocked by Russia and China in the UN Security Council.
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