Armed gangs kill 12 in Haiti as public security crisis deepens

Gang members have killed at least 12 people and burned down houses in a town near the capital of Haiti, according to the mayor.

Joseph Jeanson Guillaume on Wednesday said police and residents forced gangsters out from the town of Cabaret, north of capital Port-au-Prince, several days ago but they returned and attacked.

Much of Haiti is controlled by powerful gangs that have been targeting Cabaret for months.

The attacks on the town disrupt traffic and trade as it sits along a major road, the mayor said.

In July 2021, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated which exacerbated political instability and a continuing economic crisis.

The volatility led to gangs taking more control and becoming more powerful, while thousands of people fled the country.

The police force had 13,000 officers as of September, according to the United Nations, meaning the police are outnumbered – one for every 1,000 people.

The displaced residents of the Cite Soleil neighborhood in the capital said they did not have water, food or a place to sleep. According to the UN, about 19,000 residents of Cite Soleil face catastrophic hunger, Lewarne said.

Agencies