Over the weekend, gangs in Haiti attacked an armored vehicle, resulting in four missing soldiers from El Salvador. This incident marks the first major assault since the commencement of operations by an international gang suppression force in the violence-stricken Caribbean nation. The attack took place in Croix-des-Bouquets, a formerly peaceful area in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, now under the control of violent gangs.
The Salvadoran armed forces reported on Monday that the four aviation technicians were targeted while returning to their camp, with their armored vehicle being attacked and set on fire with explosives. Despite the vehicle being engulfed in flames, the soldiers managed to escape, and efforts are underway in collaboration with international forces to locate and establish contact with the missing personnel.
According to Salvadoran authorities, helicopters dispatched to the area also faced gunfire from armed individuals. The intensity of the conflict has hindered multiple attempts by land and air to approach the situation, as noted by the Salvadoran military.
In a statement to the UN Security Council on Monday, Wien-Weibert Arthus, Haiti’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, highlighted that the weapons and ammunition utilized by gangs are not domestically produced and continue to infiltrate the country through various means. Arthus emphasized the complexity and challenges of security in Haiti, particularly underscored by the recent attack.
Gang violence has uprooted nearly 1.5 million individuals in Haiti, setting a record for displacement in recent years. The UN reports over 5,700 casualties or injuries and more than 230 abductions from January to mid-September. During a UN Security Council meeting, Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, condemned the attack and reassured that efforts would be made to ensure the safe return of the missing soldiers.
The gang suppression force is closely monitoring the situation and has advised residents in the affected area to remain indoors following the attack. Jack Christofides, the special representative of the force, cautioned that gang activities have escalated, with reprisal killings being carried out in response to operations by Haitian and international forces, extending into various regions.
As preparations for Haiti’s first general election in over a decade progress, the control exerted by gangs in Port-au-Prince remains evident. The gang suppression force, comprising over 2,000 troops from nations like Chad, Jamaica, and Guatemala, continues its operations in Haiti, showing initial signs of diminishing gang influence in certain areas.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on Salvadoran troops, occurring amidst the election preparations and highlighting the dominance of gangs in the capital. The electoral landscape shows significant progress, with numerous parties and candidates registering for the upcoming polls, including former president Michel Martelly, who faces sanctions from Canada and the U.S. for alleged involvement in drug trafficking and gang sponsorship.