Haiti Grapples with Governance Vacuum as Violence Escalates
More than a fortnight after the resignation of Haiti’s prime minister amidst a surge of unrest in Port-au-Prince, crucial details regarding a presidential transitional council remain undisclosed.
Among the myriad challenges confronting this council is the rampant illicit trade in firearms, which has emboldened the gangs now asserting control.
The surge in violence has precipitated a mass exodus from the capital.
One such individual departing is 14-year-old David Charles, whose father Israel anxiously awaits his son’s arrival in Cap-Haitien.
As a coach with windows boarded up halts beside the road, Israel beams with anticipation. David descends the steps with his belongings, and they embrace tightly. David has successfully fled Port-au-Prince, a city now besieged by armed factions and political turmoil. The epicenter of Haiti’s violence is predominantly concentrated in the capital, with the UN estimating that 80% of it is under gang control.
David had resided there without his parents for two years to pursue his education, but Israel was determined to prevent his son from falling victim to the chaos.
The recent surge of violence compelled him to relocate his son to Cap-Haitien, a relatively safer city in the north.
“The journey felt endless, over six hours long. I prayed the entire way,” recalls David. “The bus driver later informed us of gunshots in a nearby area, narrowly evaded by our bus.”
Other passengers on the bus appear fatigued yet relieved, though one man, wearing a dark T-shirt and sunglasses, expresses frustration. He quietly discloses his dissatisfaction to us, then visibly bristles as he directs a message to the United States.
“All the firearms here originate from the US, it’s common knowledge. If the US desired, they could halt this within a month!” He implores, “We plead with the US to grant us a chance at life, just a chance.”
Despite Haiti’s lack of firearm production, a UN report from January highlighted the pervasive influx of firearms into Port-au-Prince, ranging from high-caliber rifles like AK-47s to pistols, sniper rifles, and machine guns.
These weapons are exacerbating the alarming surge in gang-related violence in Haiti.
While the exact count of trafficked firearms in Haiti remains elusive, the UN report suggested estimates of up to half a million legal and illegal firearms present as of 2020.
The report documented the smuggling of arms and ammunition via land, air, and sea from US states including Florida, Texas, and Georgia.
Significant seizures have occurred at Haiti’s primary ports in Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, and Cap-Haitien, with illegal weapons concealed within shipping containers alongside charitable donations of toys and clothing.
In July 2022, Haitian authorities intercepted a substantial cache of weapons, including dozens of firearms and 15,000 rounds of ammunition. Discovered within a shipment from Florida destined for an Episcopal church in Haiti, these arms underscore the severity of the crisis.