PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Authorities in Haiti have issued more than a dozen arrest warrants for individuals accused of supporting gangs that have been terrorizing the peaceful community of Kenscoff, located near the capital, Port-au-Prince, for the past three weeks. At least dozens have been killed during the attacks this month, including three police officers and one soldier, according to police spokesman Lionel Lazarre.
Among those named in the warrants are former Senator Nenel Cassy and former Kenscoff legislator Alfredo Antoine, both accused of backing the gangs and conspiring against the government. Neither individual was immediately available for comment.
One of the victims of the violence was a two-month-old baby, according to the local human rights group, the Cooperative for Peace and Development, which has called for the establishment of a special international criminal tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the thousands of deaths in Haiti in recent years, including the killing of children.
“Access to areas controlled by the gangs is difficult, but that will not stop our efforts to fight back,” said Lazarre, adding that a significant number of gang members have been killed in recent clashes, though he provided no further details.
Gangs have gained control of 85% of Port-au-Prince, and their recent attacks on previously peaceful communities are part of a broader effort to expand their territory. Last year, gang violence in Haiti led to more than 5,600 deaths, and over a million people have been displaced by the violence, according to the United Nations.
