Violence erupted in the central Haitian town of Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite on Sunday as the Gran Grif gang clashed with a vigilante group. Videos showed bloodied bodies strewn across the streets of the Jean-Denis neighbourhood, with houses set ablaze. The number of casualties remains unclear.
This massacre is the latest in a spiral of gang violence that has gripped Haiti for five years, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. In response, vigilante groups emerged around 2023 to fight back, often resorting to brutal tactics such as stoning, beheading, and burning suspected gang members alive.
The Gran Grif gang, designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the Trump administration last year, continues to terrorise the Artibonite region. According to the United Nations, it is the largest gang in the area, responsible for 80% of civilian deaths. It has committed massacres, rapes, and forced thousands to flee their homes.
