Haitian Gang Massacre Leaves Over 100 Dead as Thousands Flee

Pont-Sonde, Haiti – October 4, 2024 – In a horrific display of violence, armed gang members stormed the town of Pont-Sonde in western Haiti’s agricultural heartland, killing at least 70 people and forcing more than 6,000 to flee their homes. This massacre, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, has sent shockwaves across Haiti, a nation already grappling with ongoing gang violence.

The assault, orchestrated by the Gran Grif gang led by notorious leader Luckson Elan, has further destabilized the region and deepened the hunger crisis in the Artibonite Valley, known as Haiti’s breadbasket. Elan, in a statement, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was in retaliation for local civilians failing to intervene while police and vigilante groups targeted his gang members.

Local authorities reported that the gang set fire to dozens of homes and vehicles in one of the deadliest attacks Haiti has seen in years. While the official death toll stands at 70, rights organizations believe the number of casualties is likely higher, with entire families being wiped out in the violence. “This heinous crime against defenseless women, men, and children is an attack on the entire Haitian nation,” declared Prime Minister Garry Conille on X, formerly Twitter. He added that security forces are working to secure the area, although progress remains slow.

According to the U.N., the attacks have displaced approximately 6,270 people, many of whom have taken refuge with families in nearby towns such as Saint-Marc, while others are left in makeshift camps. The small, under-resourced public hospital in Saint-Marc is struggling to cope with the influx of injured victims.

Witnesses describe the chilling scenes as gang members went house to house, shooting people at random. “They were left to shoot anybody. Everybody was running everywhere,” said Bertide Horace, a spokesperson for the Dialogue and Reconciliation Commission to Save the Artibonite Valley. “They were walking, shooting people, killing people, burning homes, burning cars.” Horace herself had two family members injured during the attack.

The massacre is the latest sign of Haiti’s growing struggle with gangs, which now control vast portions of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and are expanding their grip on rural regions. The lack of adequate police and military support has allowed gangs to operate with near impunity and promised international aid has been slow to materialize.

Local police could not respond effectively during the attack, and an armored vehicle stationed nearby Verrettes failed to mobilize. “The gang met no resistance,” Horace noted, suggesting that officers may have feared being outgunned. According to a national police spokesperson, the director of police in charge of the Artibonite department has been replaced to address the worsening security situation.

The growing gang violence has exacerbated Haiti’s food crisis. The Artibonite Valley is a central rice-producing region, and gangs have disrupted farming activities by extorting farmers, stealing crops, and forcing workers off their land. The World Food Programme warns that millions of Haitians are facing severe food insecurity, with thousands in Port-au-Prince experiencing famine-like conditions.

Despite widespread violence, justice remains elusive for victims of massacres in Haiti. Since 2017, several mass killings have occurred, with little progress in bringing perpetrators to justice. The Gran Grif gang, responsible for the recent Pont-Sonde massacre, has been linked to mass kidnappings, murders, and other crimes in the region. Elan, its leader, was added to the U.N. sanctions list last month, but he continues to lead violent assaults with impunity.

As gang violence spirals out of control, the international community’s response has been slow. A U.N.-backed mission to restore order in Haiti has seen limited success, with only 400 officers deployed, most of whom are from Kenya. Meanwhile, the U.N. has estimated that more than 3,600 people have been killed in gang-related violence since January. The crisis is exacerbated by arms smuggling, with many weapons believed to be trafficked from the United States.

Despite the urgent need for international assistance, neighboring countries, including the Dominican Republic and the United States, continue to deport Haitian migrants back to a nation on the brink of collapse. The U.N. has called for more excellent international support to address Haiti’s spiraling crisis, but these calls have gone unanswered.

As the country mourns another tragedy, the question remains: when will the world take action to help Haiti regain its footing?

Midtown Times staff report on them in collaboration with Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince and Sarah Morland in Mexico City, with Michelle Nichols reporting additional information.