The Martissant district, south of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, continues to be under the control of armed gangs a year after the violence began in the area, reported the Center for Analysis and Research on Human Rights (Cardh).
“The State does not intervene to restore public order and international cooperation would play the card of ignorance,” Cardh added in a statement in which he seeks to put what is happening in the area back into public opinion.
through a reportthe organization places as the beginning of the situation when the Village-de-Dieu and Grand-Ravine armed gangs joined together to confront the Tibwa gang, seeking to control the Martissant 4 and Martissant 23 district, where a commercial area was registered , especially an oil terminal.
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Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of Haiti, promised last February that the government will regain control of the area, especially the stretch of highway that connects the south with Port-au-Prince.
âI give the guarantee that the Martissant road section that leads to the great South will be cleared and the #PNH (Haitian National Police) will take control, which, despite its weak means, can revel in convincing results in the fight against the insecurity and banditry,â Henry wrote on Twitter at the time.
Je donne la guarantie que le tronçon de route de Martissant menant vers le grand Sud sera dĂ©gagĂ© et le control sera repris por la #NHP Qui, malgrĂ© ses faibles moyens, peut se rĂ©jouir de probants rĂ©sultats dans la lutte contre l’insĂ©curitĂ© et le banditisme. #Haiti
â Dr Ariel Henry (@DrArielHenry) February 12, 2022
It is also known that it is a risk to cross the national highway number 2, at the southern exit of Port-au-Prince, because the gangs can open fire on those who pass through the place and, in the best of cases, they are only robbed.
This route was crucial for the humanitarian response after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that occurred on August 14, 2021, which left more than 2,248 dead and 12,763 injured. To achieve the passage of assistance, the armed gangs agreed to a truce.
“The right to life and security of citizens cannot be limited to speeches, promises,” criticized the Cardh, which places approximately 2,000 people forced to leave the area due to violence and 60,000 require humanitarian aid.
Martissant occupies a strategic position to control the flow of freight transport and public transport drivers “are forced” to pay a monthly fee to the gangs to be able to cross, according to the Cardh.
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There are no statistics or official data on the number of deaths in Martissant, but there are individual reports made by the local media about the events there.
This comes as another gang war broke out in April in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and has killed 188 people, of whom 96 were suspected gang members and 92 civilians. according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Graduated in Social Communication with a mention in Journalism at the UASD. She has experience working in print and digital newspapers, also in the production of radio programs.
