A powerful gang launched a violent attack on a sizable group of parishioners, led by a pastor, as they marched through the outskirts of Haiti's capital. Their mission: to rid the area of gang members wielding machetes.
This harrowing event unfolded in real-time, with journalists on-site capturing the shocking footage. According to Marie Yolène Gilles, the director of the human rights group Fondasyon Je Klere, several individuals lost their lives, and others sustained injuries during the onslaught.
The incident played out online as hundreds of people from a local church embarked on a march through Canaan, a makeshift community on the fringes of Port-au-Prince, founded by survivors who had lost their homes in the catastrophic 2010 earthquake.
As of now, it remains unclear how many casualties resulted from this brutal attack.
Canaan is currently under the control of a gang led by an individual known simply as "Jeff," believed to have affiliations with the notorious "5 Seconds" gang.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, gangs have surged in power, with estimates suggesting their control extends to up to 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Gédéon Jean, the director of Haiti’s Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, was among those who witnessed the incident unfold online. He intends to request an investigation by the Ministry of Justice, placing responsibility for the tragic turn of events on the pastor, whom he accuses of acting irresponsibly by involving a group of people in such a perilous situation.
The parishioners, wielding machetes and chanting "Free Canaan!" were ill-prepared for the heavily armed gang members with assault rifles.
Jean expressed strong criticism, asserting that the police should have prevented them from proceeding, deeming it "extremely horrible" for the state to allow such an incident to occur.
Haiti’s National Police did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Disturbingly, from January 1st to August 15th, over 2,400 people in Haiti have reportedly lost their lives, with more than 950 individuals kidnapped and another 902 injured, as per the most recent United Nations data.