Haiti’s rival gangs sign truce

Two rival gang leaders in Haiti’s largest slum have signed a truce to end armed conflict, a community leader announced. It would be the second truce signed by the rival gangs after a similar truce signed in July 2023 collapsed within weeks.

The Rev. Jean Enoch Joseph, an influential figure in the community, said that roadblocks for some 300,000 residents of the Cité Soleil slum had been removed under an agreement reached between leaders of the G9 and G-Pep groups.

Like much of Port-au-Prince, residents of Cité Soleil cannot move freely through the slums — which are divided into different areas controlled by rival gangs — for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

The G9 and G-Pep gangs have not clashed since joining a coalition in February to incite a coordinated attack to overthrow Henry, but until Wednesday they maintained a division within the Sun City.

The first quarter of 2024 was the deadliest for Haitians, with approximately 2,500 killed or injured in gang violence. In March 2024, gang violence spread throughout Port-au-Prince in an effort to force the resignation of Acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry, leading to the capture of two prisons and the release of thousands of prisoners.

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The gang controls 80% of the main roads in the Caribbean country and has been accused of numerous murders, rapes, robberies and kidnappings for ransom. More than 500,000 children in Haiti reportedly live in communities controlled by armed groups, putting them at a higher risk of violence and child recruitment.

The newly formed transitional government was A UN-backed multinational mission led by Kenya Hoping to combat the growing gang violence and address the humanitarian crisis it has caused.

It is a daunting task for a country wracked by violence and corruption and which has been without a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in 2021.