Amnesty International on Wednesday criticized Haiti’s government for failing to protect its citizens after a deadly gang attack in the town of Petite-Rivière.
“This crime once again highlights the human cost of the authorities’ inability to protect the population with human rights at its core,” said Astrid Valencia, deputy director of America research at Amnesty.
The attack occurred on March 29th when an act of violence occurred collision It happened between an armed gang and a self-defense group. Sixteen people were reportedly killed, but estimates suggest the death toll could rise to as many as 80, according to the UN chief spokesman.
The massacre was attributed Big clawthe largest gang in the Artibonite department in Haiti, which has previously carried out deadly attacks against civilians as well as members of the security forces, including the Haitian National Police and the UN authorized Multinational Security Assistance Mission (MSS).
The UN Secretary-General’s spokesman stressed that the attack underscored the seriousness of the security situation in Haiti and said the UN political mission was closely monitoring the situation. In addition, Amnesty called on the authorities to hold those responsible for the attack accountable and to create the necessary conditions to restore security in the country.
The reported attack is the latest in a string of violence in a country struggling with armed gangs Violence since 2021, resulting in a humanitarian crisis characterized by famine, mass displacement, disease outbreaks and widespread human rights violations Abuses against civilians.
To restore order in the country, the United Nations established the MSS in 2023 to assist the national police in restoring state control. However, the UN Security Council ended the MSS’s mission in 2025 and approved its transition into a larger organization, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
GSF has a more militarized mission than the MSS, working to neutralize, isolate and deter armed gangs in collaboration with Haitian security forces. Despite these efforts, violence escalated and armed gangs expanded their territorial control, further destabilizing daily life and increasing criminal activity.
Previously the UN Office on Drugs and Crime reported that Haiti has become a transit and destination point for firearms and drug trafficking, facilitated by territorial expansion and gang coalitions. Gangs have free access to sophisticated military weapons that surpass the capabilities of national security forces and allow them to control supply chains and trade and transportation routes.
On March 26, the UN called called for greater international support for the Haitian authorities in combating violent gangs, noting that the ongoing war is fueled by illicit arms flows and transnational criminal networks that far exceed the capacity of a weakened State.
