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☆ At UN, Kenya's President Asks World Not to Leave Haiti Behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Michelle NicholsUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Kenyan President William Ruto urged the United Nations Security Council on Thursday to formally back a security support mission to Haiti, which Kenya has shown a willingness to lead, saying the Caribbean country "deserves better from the world." The council could vote as soon as next week, diplomats said, on a U.S.-drafted resolution supporting a multinational police deployment. Haiti last year asked for help to combat violent gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince. "As we mobilize to show up for Ukraine, and countries that have experienced the devastating impact of climate shocks including Libya, Morocco and Hawaii, we must not leave Haiti behind," Ruto said. U.N. peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Persons: Michelle Nichols UNITED, William Ruto, Ruto, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Ariel Henry, Jean, Bertrand Aristide, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool Organizations: Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, Kenyan, United Nations Security, General, Peacekeeping Locations: Haiti, Kenya, Caribbean, U.S, Ukraine, Libya, Morocco, Hawaii, Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda, Americas

☆ At UN, Kenya's president asks world not to leave Haiti behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kenya's President William Samoei Ruto addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. The council could vote as soon as next week, diplomats said, on a U.S.-drafted resolution supporting a multinational police deployment. Haiti last year asked for help to combat violent gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince. "As we mobilize to show up for Ukraine, and countries that have experienced the devastating impact of climate shocks including Libya, Morocco and Hawaii, we must not leave Haiti behind," Ruto said. U.N. peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Persons: William Samoei Ruto, Brendan McDermid, William Ruto, Ruto, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Ariel Henry, Jean, Bertrand Aristide, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, Kenyan, United Nations Security, General, Peacekeeping, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Haiti, Kenya, Caribbean, Ukraine, Libya, Morocco, Hawaii, Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda, Americas

☆ Haitian gangs call for armed overthrow of PM Henry as chaos escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Ralph Tedy Erol | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former police officer Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, leader of the 'G9' coalition, leads a march surrounded by his security against Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. "We are launching the fight to overturn Ariel Henry's government in any way," gang leader Cherizier told Reuters. The assassination created a power vacuum, with Prime Minister Ariel Henry governing on an interim basis since. Henry has pledged to hold elections once security is re-established, and has called for international help in fighting the gangs. "If the international community has nothing to do with (Moise's) death, they must not support Ariel Henry."

Persons: Jimmy, Ariel Henry, Ralph Tedy Erol, Ariel Henry's, Cherizier, Jovenel Moise, Henry, Kylie Madry, Alex Richardson Organizations: Haiti's, REUTERS, Reuters, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Port, Prince, Haiti, Carrefour, Kenya

☆ Haitian Gangs Call for Armed Overthrow of PM Henry as Chaos Escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The assassination created a power vacuum, with Prime Minister Ariel Henry governing on an interim basis since. Henry has pledged to hold elections once security is re-established, and has called for international help in fighting the gangs. "If the international community has nothing to do with (Moise's) death, they must not support Ariel Henry." More than 19,000 people have been displaced from the capital in recent weeks due to the outbreak of armed violence, according to U.N. estimates. (Reporting by Ralph Tedy Erol; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol PORT, Ariel Henry, Jimmy, Ariel Henry's, Cherizier, Jovenel Moise, Henry, Ralph Tedy Erol, Kylie Madry, Alex Richardson Organizations: Reuters, United Nations Locations: Port, Haiti, Carrefour, Kenya

DAJABON, Dominican Republic (AP) — The president of the Dominican Republic announced Thursday that he would close all borders with neighboring Haiti starting Friday despite a flurry of last-minute meetings to prevent him from taking such action. Those who live in Haiti but work in the Dominican Republic also cross the border daily. Jorge Duany, an anthropology professor at Florida International University who has studied Caribbean nationalism and migration, said tensions between Haiti and the Dominican Republic flare every so often amid simmering resentment. On Wednesday, Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was meeting with Dominican officials in the Dominican Republic to talk about the situation. He said one of his young daughters is sick and he needs to take her to the hospital, adding that he doesn’t mind risking not being able to return despite having a job at a banana farm in the Dominican Republic.

Persons: DAJABON, Luis Abinader, ”, Pichelo Petijon, Abinader, Jorge Duany, Ariel Henry, ___ Coto Organizations: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Florida International University, Haitian, Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dominican Locations: Dominican Republic, Dominican, Hispaniola, Dajabon, Haiti, Caribbean, San Juan , Puerto Rico

A person holds a photo of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise, who was shot dead earlier this month, during his funeral at his family home in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, July 23, 2021. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - A retired Colombian army officer pleaded guilty in a U.S. court on Thursday to conspiring and supporting a plot to kill Haitian President Jovenel Moise, shot dead in his bedroom two years ago, a brazen assassination that created a destabilizing power vacuum. The document also says Rivera provided material support, training and personnel to support Moise's kidnapping or murder. Rivera is one of 11 defendants in the case, which includes businessmen accused of helping obtain vehicles and firearms from Florida. Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jovenel Moise, Ricardo Arduengo, German Rivera, Mike, Moise, Rivera, Ariel Henry, Rodolphe Jaar, Martine Moise, don't, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Cap, Haitien, Haiti, Colombian, U.S, German, Moise's, Caribbean, Florida, Haitian, Chilean, Miami

With Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince largely controlled by gangs infamous for kidnapping and murder, experts warn that the deportations could amount to death sentences. Migrants, mostly from Haiti, collect clothes donated by a group of volunteers, at the Giordano Bruno in Mexico City, Mexico, April 6, 2023. Blinken added he looks forward to advancing the process of Kenya’s involvement through a UN Security Council resolution authorizing a multinational force in Haiti. Migrants, mostly from Haiti, take part in a protest with a banner that reads "Mexicans and Haitians are brothers" in Mexico City, Mexico May 29, 2023. From October 2022 to July 2023, more than 5,000 Haitians were interdicted at sea by the US Coast Guard.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, ” Guerline Jozef, “, Harris, Mayorkas, Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, ”, Giordano Bruno, Henry Romero, Henry, Antonio Guterres, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Jake Sullivan, wouldn’t, ’, ” “ Organizations: CNN, United, Customs Enforcement, Haitian Bridge Alliance, UN, Biden, White, National Security, of State, Homeland Security, Migrants, Reuters, United Nations, House, Haitian National Police, Kenyan, US Department of State, National Security Council, UN Security, US Coast Guard Locations: Haiti, Caribbean, United Nations, American, Port, United States, Mexico City, Mexico, Kenya, States, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Panama, Colombia, Darien

☆ Gang in Haiti opened fire on church-led protest, killing at least 7 people, human rights groups say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Michelle Velez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —At least seven people are dead after a gang opened fire on a church-led protest in a suburb of Haiti’s capital on Saturday, according to local human rights groups. Hundreds of people gathered by a Christian church leader, marched in Canaan, a northern suburb of capital Port-au-Prince, and rallied against gang violence when a local gang opened fire with machine guns, Marie Yolène Gilles, director of human rights group Fondasyon Je Klere, told CNN. The number of people killed is likely higher, given the number of parishioners at the march, said Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights director Gédéon Jean. A video shared with CNN by a local human rights group shows bloody bodies on the ground, wearing shirts with the religious group’s logo. Gang violence in HaitiWaves of crime and unrest have hit Haiti since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

Persons: Marie Yolène Gilles, Gédéon Jean, ” Jean, Jean, Jovenel Moïse, Ariel Henry, Prince, Kale ”, María Isabel Salvador Organizations: CNN, Analysis, Human, Haitian National Police, United Nations Locations: Haiti’s, Canaan, Port, Haiti

☆ Haitians shelter in sports center as fresh attacks displace nearly 9,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Jean Loobentz Cesar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A man carries an elderly man as they flee their neighbourhood Carrefour Feuilles after gangs took over, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti August 15, 2023. Residents began moving out of the area en masse from Aug. 12, when armed gangs mounted their attacks on the area. Ariel Henry, Haiti's unelected prime minister, called for urgent international security assistance last October. "Even if this foreign force comes, when it leaves we will be in the same situation," said Youseline. Reporting by Jean Loobentz Cesar in Port-au-Prince and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, Ariel Henry, Henry, Orisca Marie Youseline, Kale, Feuilles, Gedeon Jean, Tropical Storm Franklin, Jean, Jean Loobentz Cesar, Sarah Morland, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Carrefour, REUTERS, Residents, Security, Gymnasium Vincent, Embassy, Lycee Carrefour, Tropical, Monde, Thomson Locations: Carrefour Feuilles, Port, Prince, Haiti, Carrefour, Mexico City

[1/2] A woman stands next to stacked school furniture, as she and others shelter at a school after fleeing their neighbourhood Carrefour Feuilles when gangs took over, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti August 16, 2023. "In a matter of days, violence escalated dramatically in Port-au-Prince, particularly affecting neighborhoods where the IRC collaborates with local organizations to provide vital services," the aid group said on Thursday. The IRC launched its Haiti response plan last December and works with a number of local groups around the capital, where much of the violence has taken place. Ann Lee, co-founder of U.S.-based crisis response group CORE, which is still operating in Haiti, said many aid groups had left as costs rise, financial aid dwindles and staff operates under increasingly life-threatening conditions. Lee said there was not a single member of CORE's 100-person Haiti team who did not know a victim of the violence.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, Ann Lee, dwindles, Lee, Haiti's, Ariel Henry's, Sarah Morland, Josie Kao Organizations: Carrefour, REUTERS, International Rescue, IRC, U.S, CORE, Haiti, United Nations, Feuilles, Carrefour Feuilles, . Security, Kenyan, Thomson Locations: Carrefour Feuilles, Port, Prince, Haiti, Caribbean, Haiti's, Kenya

☆ UN chief says 'robust use of force' needed against Haiti's gangs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Haiti last year asked for international help to combat violent gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince. Guterres suggested in October that countries send a "rapid action force" to support Haiti's police. The United States has already said it is prepared to put forward a draft Security Council resolution to back a deployment. Kenya said last month it was ready to consider leading an international force and pledged to send 1,000 police officers. In his report, Guterres said any targeted operations against gangs must also protect people and respect human rights and due process.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Jean, Bertrand Aristide, Ariel Henry, Michelle Nichols, Ismail Shakil, Grant McCool Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Security, Reuters, Peacekeeping, ACT, UN, Security Council, United, United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Haiti, U.N, Caribbean, United States, Kenya, Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda, Americas

☆ Haiti: Gang violence is tearing the country apart. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Caitlin Hu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Waves of crime and unrest have hit Haiti since the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. His successor, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has struggled to staunch the violence, which is also a major impediment to holding crucial long-delayed elections in the country. For months, Henry and the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres have called for a military intervention in the country. The mission, if eventually approved by the UN Security Council, is hoped to “restore normalcy” to Haiti, Mutua said. The Bwa Kale movement successfully deterred some gang activity, according to Haitian monitoring group CARDH, with kidnappings slowing in early summer.

Persons: Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, Henry, General Antonio Guterres, Alfred Mutua, ”, Mutua, Prince, Kale ”, Maria Isabel Salvador, Flavia Maurello, Ralph Tedy Erol, Kale, –, Alix Dorsainvil, Dorsainvil, “, Alix, Gedeon Jean, Dorsainvil’s, Jean Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Twitter, Kenyan, UN Security Council, US, Catholic, Borders, US State Department, El Locations: Haiti, Kenya, ”, Port, Haitian, Les, Prince, Tabarre, El Roi Haiti

☆ Bahamas promises to join Kenya in security force in Haiti as support grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks about the Black Sea grain corridor outside U.N. Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - The Bahamian government on Tuesday welcomed Kenya's decision to lead a multinational force in Haiti and committed 150 people to support the effort if the United Nations authorizes the force. "The Bahamas has committed 150 persons to support the multi-national force once authorized by the United Nations Security Council," the ministry said in a statement. It added the Bahamas looks "forward to cooperating with hemispheric partners including the United States and Canada." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday commended Kenya for "considering to serve as the lead nation" for the multinational force and expressed support for its authorization from a UN Security Council Resolution.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Brendan McDermid, Kenya's, General Antonio Guterres, Alfred Mutua, Antony Blinken, Haiti's, Ariel Henry, Brendan O'Boyle, Jasper Ward, Anthony Esposito, Chris Reese Organizations: Security, REUTERS, Bahamian, United Nations, United Nations Security Council, Kenyan Foreign, UN Security, American States, Haitian, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City, U.S, Haiti, Bahamas, Kenya, United States, Canada, Washington, Jasper

☆ Opinion | The U.S. Still Can Do What’s Right for Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Jake Johnston | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In July 2021, a group of heavily armed men stormed the home of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti, killing him and wounding the first lady. Legal proceedings against the suspects have been slowly progressing in a largely empty courtroom in South Florida. In Florida the case is taking place under tight confidentiality restrictions due to some of the suspects’ ties to American intelligence agencies. In Haiti, the acting prime minister, Ariel Henry, has been implicated by Haitian authorities in the plot. Any hopes for justice and accountability are fading and, with them, so too fades the hope for a new path forward for Haiti.

Persons: Jovenel Moïse, Prince —, ’, Ariel Henry Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, The, of Justice Locations: Haiti, Florida, South Florida, Port, American

☆ UN expert condemns 'mass deportations' of Haitians fleeing conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People carry their belongings while fleeing their homes and neighbourhood due to clashes between gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti April 24, 2023. In a statement following a visit to the Caribbean nation, William O'Neill said some methods used to repatriate about 176,777 migrants last year do not comply with human rights standards and violate bilateral migration pacts. Inside Haiti, he added, "relentless violence and systematic human rights violations" do not allow for the safe and dignified return of migrants. Incidents of sexual violence in the capital Port-au-Prince doubled in May, he said, citing credible information received. A U.N. report last year found gangs were weaponizing sexual violence to control communities through fear.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, William O'Neill, O'Neill, Prince, Ariel Henry, Jimmy Cherizier, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Haitian, Thomson Locations: Port, Prince, Haiti, Caribbean, Dominican Republic

☆ Canada, Dominican Republic reach agreement over Haitian crisis response
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, June 21 (Reuters) - Canada and the Dominican Republic have agreed that Canada will coordinate assistance for Haiti by boosting staff at its embassies in Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, the countries said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "Canada and the Dominican Republic have solid bilateral relations and are long standing partners including on regional security matters," the joint statement said. Both countries agree that the Haiti crisis requires enhanced international cooperation, humanitarian, and security assistance, the statement said. "We will enhance coordination in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Canada and other locations as required including through increased presence at the Canadian embassies in Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo," the countries said in the statement. The Dominican Republic has strained relations with Haiti, with which it shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Persons: Santo Domingo, Melanie Joly, Roberto Alvarez, Ariel Henry, Steve Scherer, Ismail Shakil, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: OTTAWA, Canada's, Dominican, Haitian, United, Thomson Locations: Canada, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Port, Dominican, Hispaniola, Santo, United States, Ottawa

☆ Dominican Republic, Canada disagree over Haitian police aid office
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Harold Isaac | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PORT-AU-PRINCE, June 16 (Reuters) - As Haiti's police struggle to contain powerful armed gangs, a disagreement between the Dominican Republic and Canada spilled out into the public on Friday, further complicating an international plan to boost Haiti's outgunned police force. A day after Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced plans to set up a Canadian office to coordinate support for Haiti's national police this summer in the neighboring Dominican Republic, her Dominican counterpart denied any deal authorizing an office on Dominican territory. In a post on social media, Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez said no deal been struck, adding that the Dominican government has not even discussed such a plan. The statement did not say whether the location would be in the Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti. On Thursday, Joly announced plans to coordinate a police support operation from a base in the Dominican Republic and thanked Alvarez for providing it, according to a transcript from a Canadian government official.

Persons: Melanie Joly, Roberto Alvarez, Santo Domingo, Joly, Alvarez, Ariel Henry, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Sandra Maler, William Mallard Organizations: PORT, Canada's, Dominican, Reuters, Haitian, Canadian, United, Thomson Locations: Dominican Republic, Canada, Dominican, Haiti, Hispaniola, Haitian, Santo, United States

☆ 4.9 magnitude quake strikes southern Haiti; 4 dead, dozens injured
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The town of Jeremie in Haiti's southwest region was struck by a moderate earthquake on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 struck southern Haiti early Tuesday, killing at least four people and injuring 36 others, authorities said. The quake struck before dawn near the southwestern coastal city of Jeremie at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. "There were so many people out on the street, and a lot of panic," he recalled of the moments after the quake struck. The earthquake struck almost two years after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti and killed more than 2,200 people, with Les Cayes sustaining the most damage.

Persons: Patrick Farrell, Eric Mpitabakana, Les Cayes, Frankel Maginaire, Mpitabakana, Claude Prepetit, Paul Pierre, Pierre, Prince, Ariel Henry Organizations: Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Getty, . Geological Survey, Food, Associated Press, Civil Protection Agency, Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, Haiti's, of Mines and Energy, Radio, AP Locations: Jeremie, Haiti's, Haiti, Port

☆ At least 42 dead, thousands homeless after floods in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Flooding from torrential rains in Haiti has left at least 42 people dead over the past couple days and dozens more missing and injured, officials said on Monday. The civil protection agency said on Twitter on Monday the death toll had risen since Sunday night after floods over the weekend hit various parts of the country, including near the capital Port-au-Prince. Aid agencies have been delivering food to displaced persons as civil protection officials warned over the weekend that the agricultural sector in parts of the country had been hard hit. The deadly floods come as Haiti faces an already difficult scenario amid rampant gang violence, which the head of civil protection told the Miami Herald had impeded rescue efforts. The rains coincide with the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November.

Persons: Ariel Henry, Isabel Woodford, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Twitter, ., Miami Herald, Atlantic, Thomson Locations: Haiti

CNN —Thousands of homes in Haiti have been flooded following heavy rains over the weekend, leaving at least 42 people dead and 85 injured, according to a statement released by the country’s Civil Protection Agency on Monday. The intense rainfall caused several rivers throughout Haiti to overflow, which in turn sparked flash floods, flooding, rockslides and landslides, according to a United Nations report. Richard Pierrin/AFP?Getty ImagesA view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023. People make their way through puddles while walking in the middle of a street littered with garbage following heavy rains in Port-au-Prince. Ariana Cubillos/APA view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023.

Persons: Ariel Henry, Richard Pierrin, Guerinault Louis, Prince, Ariana Cubillos Organizations: CNN, Civil Protection Agency, United, Haitian, Getty, Anadolu Agency, Food, UN, of Humanitarian Affairs, “ Locations: Haiti, United Nations, Nippes, South, East, North, Petit, Goâve, AFP, Port, Prince, Caribbean

☆ US blocks ex-Haitian PM Lamothe from entering country, citing corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PORT-AU-PRINCE, June 2 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday blocked former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe from entering the United States over what Secretary of State Antony Blinken said was his "involvement in significant corruption." "This action renders Lamothe generally ineligible for entry into the United States," the State Department said. In its statement, the State Department accused Lamothe of misappropriating "at least $60 million from the Haitian government's PetroCaribe investment and social welfare fund for private gain." Canada sanctioned Lamothe last November alongside Martelly and another former prime minister, Jean Henry Ceant, as part of measures targeting alleged backers of armed gangs in the country. The current caretaker government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested last October an international strike force to help restore order.

Persons: Laurent Lamothe, Antony Blinken, Lamothe, Michel Martelly, Jean Henry Ceant, Ariel Henry, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Eric Beech, Costas Pitas, Tim Ahmann, Leslie Adler Organizations: PORT, Haitian, State Department, U.S ., Miami Herald, Lamothe, Martelly, United Nations, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Miami, Venezuelan, Canada, Ottawa, Haiti

☆ Haiti's deadly vigilante movement sees decline in gang violence, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The situation in the Caribbean country remains extremely volatile as heavily armed gangs continue to drive a humanitarian crisis that has displaced tens of thousands amid frequent kidnappings for ransom, gang rapes, tortures and murders. The vigilante movement, known as "Bwa Kale", began after residents of the capital Port-au-Prince lynched and set fire to over a dozen suspected gang members in the early morning of April 24. "Without making a value judgment, the 'Bwa Kale' movement has in just one month produced convincing, visible results; fear has changed sides," CARDH said in the report. Port-au-Prince, which CARDH estimates is now 60% controlled by armed gangs, sits in Haiti's Ouest Department where most of vigilante killings that it recorded - including lynchings, stonings, beatings and burnings - took place. Bwa Kale, CARDH said, likely emerged from the extreme cruelty inflicted by gangs, the ineffectiveness of the government, police and army and lack of international action.

CNN —More than a dozen people were lynched by a crowd in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Monday, on suspicion of being gang members, according to authorities. Residents who spoke to Reuters and AFP on camera said they believed the victims were gang members. Smokes seen in the Turgeau commune of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, during gang-related violence on April 24, 2023. The gang members have invaded the area. The resident added that suspected gangmembers had “invaded” the neighborhood early Monday morning around 2am.

☆ Canada's Trudeau to deploy Navy vessels to Haiti for surveillance, presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NASSAU/PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he would deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels in the coming weeks to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a maritime presence off the coast of Haiti. Canada, which this month deployed surveillance aircraft to Haiti, has also sent armored vehicles and security gear to support anti-gang efforts and said it would make an additional delivery of vehicles in the coming days. Trudeau also announced fresh sanctions on another two Haitian individuals determined to be supporting gangs, without disclosing their names, bringing Canada's total sanctioned people to 17. U.N. envoy to Haiti Helen La Lime has said she is "still hopeful" the force could be created, stressing the need for urgency. On Tuesday, more than 40 civil society representatives signed an open letter rejecting any draft resolution backing Prime Minister Ariel Henry's administration and demanding reparations to the families of those killed in a U.N.-linked cholera outbreak a decade ago.

☆ OAS members recommit to helping Haiti through gang violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro heads a session at the OAS 52nd General Assembly, in Lima, Peru October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Angela PonceFeb 10 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) on Friday passed a resolution to support Haiti on its path to long-delayed elections and help the Caribbean country manage widespread gang violence that is driving a humanitarian crisis. Talks on such a force have lagged as no country has offered to lead it, though some Caribbean states said they would participate and Canada sent a surveillance military aircraft. Henry has pledged to leave office by Feb. 7, 2024, after repeatedly postponing elections due to a devastating 2021 earthquake as well as the gang violence. The head of the Washington-based OAS, Luis Almagro, has agreed and said locals would have to drive a precise roadmap.

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