The Citizen Protection Office (OPC), a national and independent institution for the promotion and protection of human rights, notes that since Sunday April 24, 2022, the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets has been the scene of violent armed clashes between rival gangs for the control of territory, particularly the neighborhoods of Bon Repos, Shadda, Damien, Santo, and Butte Boyer. The situation worsened on Monday May 2 with the involvement of gangs from the municipality of Cité-Soleil https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36580-haiti-insecurity-disrupted-activities-at-the-varreux-terminal-6-tankers-hijacked.html

The OPC points out "until the afternoon of May 2, 2022, it was difficult to have an exact toll of the victims of this war between rival gangs. However, the first information reported several dozen dead and wounded among the civilian population, many burnt houses, hundreds of displaced families https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36571-haiti-flash-hundreds-of-people-flee-the-combat-zones.html and several thousand people taken hostage for more than eight days in the combat zones. »

Because of these armed conflicts, traffic is interrupted on the roads giving access to nationals #1 and #3, thus blocking communication between the departments of Ouest, Artibonite, Nord, Nord-Est, Northwest and Center.

Since June 1st, 2021, the same situation has been observed in the districts of Martissant where access from Port-au-Prince to the departments of South, South-East, Nippes and Grand'Anse has been cut for 11 months.

"Everything is happening under the eyes and the great silence of the authorities and institutions responsible for ensuring the safety of lives and property, despite the calls for help from the inhabitants of the conflict zones. The people are on their own," laments the OPC stressing "For more than 8 days, not a message or action both from the government and from the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN)."

The OPC reminds the State that it is "its responsibility to ensure the safety of the population, to protect lives and property". The Office urges the state authorities concerned to take "rapid and urgent measures to restore order and peace in the communes of Croix-des-Bouquets, Cité-Soleil and in the neighborhoods of Martissant in order to allow all the inhabitants to go about their activities freely and without any worry."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36580-haiti-insecurity-disrupted-activities-at-the-varreux-terminal-6-tankers-hijacked.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36571-haiti-flash-hundreds-of-people-flee-the-combat-zones.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36536-haiti-gang-war-the-pnh-in-the-combat-zone.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36528-haiti-flash-at-least-20-civilians-killed-in-gang-fighting-zones.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36512-haiti-flash-gang-war-the-plaine-du-cul-de-sac-transformed-into-a-battlefield.html

HL/ HaitiLibre