The Solino neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is currently under siege.
A powerful gang coalition, known as Viv Ansanm, has initiated a new wave of violent attacks, turning the once bustling working-class neighborhood into a scene of terror and resistance. The strategic location of Solino, if captured, would grant the gang alliance access to parts of the capital currently beyond their control. This has put the Haitian police and the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission to the test.
According to American Military News, the mission, which also comprises Jamaican, Belizean, and Bahamian security personnel, has been struggling to curb the escalating violence. Despite reports of some successful operations against the gangs, the mission has been unable to halt the expansion of violence as the gangs launch coordinated attacks on several neighborhoods in the capital and towns on its outskirts.
A resident of Solino, who requested anonymity, told the Miami Herald, Theres no sleep. If you are a young man, a young woman you have no choice but to stay awake and keep watch. But right now, no one in the area is sleeping. The resident's account paints a grim picture of life in Solino, where gang members, heavily armed, go door to door, pulling out residents and threatening to set homes on fire.
The United Nations Integrated Office in Port-au-Prince reported that between July and September, gang violence and the fight against it resulted in over 1,200 deaths and more than 500 injuries. The violence was primarily concentrated in the Port-au-Prince area and the Artibonite region to the north. During the same period, the mission documented 170 kidnappings for ransom.
The U.N. mission also raised concerns about the ongoing sexual violence perpetrated by gangs against women and girls, as well as the impact of violence on children. During the reporting period, children fell victim to sexual violence, human trafficking, and gang recruitment. The U.N. also expressed alarm over extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions by law enforcement officials, reporting at least 106 such incidents, including 96 by the Haiti National Police and 10 by the government prosecutor in the city of Miragone. Among the victims were six children around age 10.
The U.N. recommended accelerating the full deployment of the Kenya-led mission and the establishment of a specialized judicial task force by Haitian authorities to combat mass crimes, including sexual violence. However, Diego Da Rin, a Haiti analyst with the International Crisis Group, pointed out that the multinational mission has had very limited impact on the security situation in Haiti due to its lack of equipment at the start of its deployment on June 25. This has hampered the 410-member missions ability to engage in forceful operations to penetrate gangs strongholds.
Da Rin further explained, The Kenyans are about 380 so they also have a very limited amount of officers to respond to attacks that are happening on different fronts. He noted that the gangs have launched a new wave of coordinated attacks in the capital, and are also exploiting their increased power in other areas, such as the south and the north, to overstretch the limited capacities of the security forces.
Since August, the multinational mission, the Haiti National Police, and the countrys small army have been launching more offensive operations against the gangs, including those trying to overtake Solino. However, these operations are often short-lived. Da Rin said, They did some damage to the ranks of the gangs, but the problem is that when there are some successes in specific operations, the MSS and the HNP dont have the capacity to maintain these gains.
Haitian analysts have identified several other challenges faced by the police forces. There is a lack of trust by the Kenyans toward some of their Haitian counterparts joining them in operations, and a lack of knowledge of the lay of the land. For example, they often lack information on how many armed groups occupy a neighborhood, or how many individual gang members occupy those territories. As a result, the Kenyan troops have been accused of not stepping out of their armored vehicles, not firing back in some areas, or leaving after only a few hours.
The political environment in Haiti is further complicating matters. The countrys already fragile transition is hanging by a thread as Prime Minister Garry Conille and the nine-member Transitional Presidential Council engage in a public war that the Caribbean Community this week called unseemly and distracting.
The 15-member regional bloc known as CARICOM warned that the rising tensions between the prime minister and the council are endangering the transition and 'further deepening and prolonging Haitians suffering. So far neither entity has publicly responded to Caribbean leaders concerns. On Wednesday, the transitional council, which is demanding that Conille reshuffle his government and replace at least four current ministers at finance, justice, foreign affairs and interior summoned Conille to address concerns about the use of a private contracting company in the gang fight.
There have been allegations that Conille has signed a contract with Studebaker Defense Group, a multinational security contractor that attempted to sign a contract with the government of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry last year.
In addition to Solino, armed gangs have also attacked the northern city of Arcahaie. And on Tuesday, video circulating on social media showed a Viv Ansamn member dismantling a police station in Cabaret. The attacks have forced more than 10,000 people from their homes in recent days.
The Solino resident said, Everybody fights back how they can. He said people perch themselves in areas not yet under gang control or on top of buildings that havent fallen. Some of them have guns or toss Molotov cocktails. However, residents also face a humanitarian crisis. Youre going to have more people die here from hunger than gunshots, he said, noting the absence of the government and nonprofit aid groups in Solino. We dont even have water.
The situation in Solino is a stark reminder of the challenges Haiti faces in its fight against gang violence. The country's security forces, despite their efforts, are struggling to contain the situation, and the political instability is only exacerbating the crisis. The people of Solino, and indeed all of Haiti, are caught in the crossfire, living in fear and uncertainty, and facing a humanitarian crisis that seems to be largely ignored by the government and aid groups.
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