PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A gang leader in control of a vital port in the Haitian capital has been accused of orchestrating a massacre that targeted the elderly and Vodou religious figures in retaliation for his son’s death. This disturbing event has reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 100 individuals, according to government sources and human rights organizations.
Discrepancies in casualty figures are common in Haiti, where violence frequently erupts in areas dominated by gangs and can be difficult to report accurately.
A statement from Haiti’s government on Monday confirmed the massacre, stating that more than 100 individuals lost their lives in the Cité Soleil area. Officials have vowed to hold accountable those responsible for this “unspeakable carnage.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the escalating violence, highlighting that “at least 184 individuals, including 127 elderly men and women, were killed between December 6 and 8 in the Wharf Jérémie area of Cité Soleil,” according to statements from U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The U.N. has not disclosed how it arrived at these numbers.
Guterres has urged Haitian authorities to launch a comprehensive investigation into these killings and bring justice to all victims of human rights abuses. Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, reported that the gang leader in question was responsible for the deaths of at least 184 people.
Local human rights organizations have also put the death toll at over 100, often citing testimonies from community residents. The Cooperative for Peace and Development, a Haitian rights group, reported on Sunday that it had documented the killings of around 20 senior citizens. However, residents in the affected community, controlled by a gang leader known as Micanor Altès—also referred to as Monel Felix and Wa Mikanò—reported that the number of victims exceeded 100.
The National Human Rights Defense Network, another local organization, confirmed that at least 110 individuals were brutally murdered during the massacre. However, the organization did not disclose its sources for this information, and its director, Pierre Espérance, was unavailable for further comment.
The inconsistent reporting is troubling, suggesting the overwhelming control gangs exert over the populace, remarked Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group. He emphasized that the confusion surrounding casualty figures just days after such a massacre indicates the level of fear and control gangs hold over the local communities.
Micanor Altès rules over coastal areas like Wharf Jérémie, La Saline, and Fort Dimanche, and has a history of criminal activities, including robbery, extortion, and hijacking. He was not previously deemed as brutal as other gang leaders—until now.
Efforts to reach Micanor for comment were unsuccessful, and a representative from Haiti’s National Police did not respond to inquiries.
The National Human Rights Defense Network reported that the violence ensued after the gang leader’s child fell severely ill. Micanor sought guidance from a Vodou priest, yet after the child’s passing, he blamed the elderly community members for practicing witchcraft that supposedly harmed his son.
The Cooperative for Peace and Development detailed that Micanor accused local residents of causing his son’s illness, leading him to enact a gruesome form of retribution against the elderly and Vodou practitioners.
The organization reported that numerous gunmen apprehended prominent community figures, taking them to Micanor’s base where they were executed. Those attempting to assist the victims also faced deadly repercussions.
Targeting individuals seeking refuge from the violence, there is evidence of a systematic approach to identify and eliminate Vodou practitioners and elderly residents within the community.
Da Rin noted that typically in Haiti, incidents of violence are well-documented and often shared on social media, making the absence of such coverage in this case all the more unusual.
The Cooperative for Peace and Development further indicated that Micanor had previously attacked Vodou practitioners, leading to the deaths of several elderly women and Vodou leaders wrongly accused of witchcraft in recent years.
In Haiti, it is not uncommon for citizens to seek medical assistance or advice from Vodou priests, known as “oungans.” Vodou, which intertwines Catholicism with indigenous beliefs, played a crucial role in Haiti’s history, notably during the revolution that established Haiti as the first independent Black republic in 1804.
The recent spate of violence in Port-au-Prince follows another tragic incident that resulted in over 70 deaths in Pont-Sondé, where rival gangs are battling for territorial control.
The rising tide of violence has overwhelmed Haiti’s National Police and a UN-supported mission led by Kenyan officers facing shortages in funding and personnel, prompting calls for a renewed international peacekeeping effort.
Human Rights Watch noted that the situation in Haiti has deteriorated to catastrophic levels, with criminal networks conducting widespread, coordinated attacks against civilians and vital state infrastructure. The organization underscored that many Haitians live in enduring fear of murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, or forced conscription, while also struggling daily to secure basic necessities.
Reportedly, this year alone, over 4,500 individuals have been documented as victims of violence in Haiti, according to U.N. sources.