The massacre carried out early last Thursday by the Gran Grif armed group in Pont Sondé, about 100 kilometers from the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince left more than 70 dead and 50 injured, including women, children and the elderly. The Caribbean country has been enduring a years-long crisis that is only getting worse.
The toll of the massacre could increase since sporadic gunshots were reportedly still being heard in the area the time of this story’s filing. Journalists have not been able to uncover details due to violence in the area.
Several houses and vehicles were burned, forcing survivors to take refuge elsewhere or in the public square of Saint-Marc after walking for hours and stumbling across bodies along the way.
Prime Minister Garry Conille visited victims at the Saint Nicolas Hospital in the Saint Marc commune this weekend, where he expressed his solidarity with the families and expressed his deepest indignation at these acts, which he described as inhumane.
Le Premier ministre haïtien, Dr Garry Conille, s’est rendu à l’Hôpital Saint-Nicolas de Saint-Marc ce vendredi 4 octobre 2024, pour rencontrer les blessés de l’attaque armée perpétrée par le gang « Gran Grif » à Pont-Sondé. #Haiti #info pic.twitter.com/Up65oZtKiS
— Richard FELISSAINT (@felissaint52252) October 5, 2024
“This new act of violence, directed against innocent civilians, is unacceptable and requires an urgent, rigorous and coordinated response from the state,” Conille said. Conille took office on June 12, replacing former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who resigned amid an uncontrollable outbreak of violence.
During his visit, the Haitian head of state reiterated “the full commitment” of his government to work “tirelessly” to restore the security and authority of the state and protect all citizens.
Several units of the Haitian National Police (PNH) have been deployed in the commune of Saint-Marc, where armored vehicles and contingents of the Multinational Security Support Force, led by Kenya, have been sent with the aim of supporting local police officers who are already on the ground carrying out operations to dismantle criminal gangs, according to statements released on social media platforms.
Artibonite Police Divisional Commissioner Jean Louis Paul Ménard was dismissed after the massacre for his inability to neutralize the armed gangs that control the region. Caleb Exantus was appointed in his place, who took office this Sunday, October 5.
Rumors of a planned massacre had been circulating in Pont-Sondé for at least two months, according to a report by the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), an NGO which expressed its dismay at the news this Saturday.
The massacre was described as a series of murders and injuries caused by knives and gunfire, the burning of houses, vehicles and sentry boxes, along with the forced displacement of the Pont-Sondé population.
“People with babies and small children were also murdered. The bodies lie on the ground, they have not yet been recovered by their relatives,” RNDDH said.
The Pont-Sondé massacre is the latest tragic incident that has claimed thousands of victims in acts of violence against people and property perpetrated by armed gangs, who have enjoyed impunity for several years, the NGO laments in a document.
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