Christmas Day violence by Haiti armed gang kills 2 children. UNICEF urges attacks end
Two children were killed in Haiti on Christmas Day by an armed group that has ramped up its campaign of violence despite having its leader sanctioned by both the United States and United Nations.
The children, both girls under age 10, were killed along with two adults when the gang, 400 Mawozo, carried out a deadly assault on Monday on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in the Croix-des-Bouquets neighborhood, the United Nations said. Additionally, four family members were kidnapped.
The gang has been intensifying its attacks in communities east of the capital. The week before Christmas, at least five people were killed, including a mother and her child, in nearby Ganthier, according to the local daily, Le Nouvelliste. Residents told the newspaper that 400 Mawozo was behind the deaths, which were part of successive attacks being carried out by the gang in the sprawling area.
Bruno Maes, country director for UNICEF, said the U.N. child welfare agency “is deeply shocked and outraged” by the latest attacks, which have left behind “a trail of unimaginable sorrow and despair.”
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the victims, families, and communities affected by these barbaric attacks,” Maes said.
UNICEF has been increasingly sounding the alarm over Haiti’s unprecedented escalation in violence and its deadly impact on children. In gang-controlled areas, the places children rely on for protection and support— including schools, health facilities and protection services — are increasingly coming under attack and leading to the deaths of children, Maes noted.
“Major crimes, including intentional homicides and kidnappings, are escalating at an unprecedented rate, particularly in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite department,” he said. “The national police recorded a staggering 1,239 homicides between July and September, compared to 577 in the same period the previous year. Abductions have surged to 701 victims, a shocking 244 percent increase.”
The repeated attacks, and restricted access to aid workers are hampering UNICEF’s ability to reach those most in need, said Maes.
“UNICEF and others have repeatedly called for the protection of civilians, in particular children and women, and for the respect of international humanitarian law. Killing children is a grave violation of human rights,” he added. “UNICEF strongly urges all parties to stop attacks on children and their families and keep them out of harm’s way.”
In recent weeks, 400 Mawozo has intensified its attacks, unleashing violence in Ganthier and other communities as it seeks to also move into territory controlled by its sometime ally and sometime rival, the Kraze Baryé gang led by Vitel’homme Innocent.
Earlier this month, Innocent and Joseph Wilson, alias “Lanmò San Jou,” the leader of 400 Mawozo, were among four Haiti gang leaders named to a U.N. global sanctions list. They were also hit with economic sanctions by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Joseph and Innocent also have criminal indictments against them in the United States for their roles in the 2021 kidnapping of 16 American missionaries in Haiti.
In October, the U.N. Security Council approved the deployment of an armed security mission to Haiti led by Kenya. Despite being approved by the East African nation’s parliament, the effort has been stalled by a legal challenge brought by an opposition leader and former presidential candidate. Kenya’s High Court in Nairobi has set a hearing for Jan. 26 to decide on the matter, including lifting its block preventing 1,000 Kenyan police officers from deploying to Port-au-Prince to assist the Haiti National Police as part of a Multinational Security Support Mission.
