Schools in Haiti Run by Stronger, Richer & Better Armed Gangs – UN Report
Haitian gangs have taken control of schools, clinics, and charitable foundations in response to the government’s increasing absence, all the while gang leaders amass wealth and acquire luxurious homes with swimming pools in the poorest country in the hemisphere.
This was a key revelation from a comprehensive United Nations report published on Wednesday.
The 156-page report, produced by a panel of U.N. experts, highlights that “Gangs are growing in strength, wealth, firepower, and independence.” The report attributes this growth to the lucrative arms trafficking, predominantly from the United States, which supplies gang leaders with deadly weapons.
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The panel strongly criticized the “ineffectual” U.N. arms embargo and noted that very few countries respond to requests to trace confiscated firearms.
The report further indicates that gangs have become more organized, consolidating in the capital around alliances like G9 and G-Pep, while clashes escalate in crucial northern agricultural regions.
According to the report, gangs often employ rape as a means of terrorizing and extorting victims, extorting money, and controlling the distribution of food supplies. They are also responsible for indiscriminate killings and numerous kidnappings, demanding ransoms as high as $500,000 for foreigners and prominent individuals.
Gang leaders have used charitable foundations to create a positive public image. They utilize social media not only to showcase their lavish lifestyles but also to instill fear by sharing videos of torture and mutilation.
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Observers describe Haiti’s national police force as “grossly understaffed” and highlight its state of being “poorly equipped and inadequately trained.”
Since April, a vigilante self-defense movement known as Bwa Kale has executed hundreds of suspected gang members. The report also attributes crimes to this movement and states that it has evolved into new gangs.
In recent years, the influence of gangs in the Caribbean nation has significantly expanded, leading to mass migration, internal displacement, and pushing millions into severe hunger.
The United Nations has recently approved the deployment of an international force, with Kenya committing 1000 police officers, to support Haiti’s police at the request of the government. However, few countries have provided personnel, and the deployment has not yet materialized.
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Schools in Haiti Run by Stronger, Richer & Better Armed Gangs – UN Report