Haitian Police Struggle to Reach Gang-Controlled Area in Artibonite After Deadly Attacks Leave Dozens Dead

Haitian National Police are facing significant challenges accessing a gang-controlled zone in central Haiti’s Artibonite department following a series of violent attacks near Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite that have left at least 16 people dead, according to official figures.

While police have confirmed 16 fatalities (with some preliminary reports citing 16–17 dead and around 10–19 injured), local journalists and human rights groups paint a far grimmer picture. Activists estimate the death toll could be as high as 70 killed and around 30 wounded, with fears the numbers could rise further as access to the area remains limited. Nearly 6,000 residents have been displaced by the violence.

Local activists primarily blame the attacks on the powerful Gran Grif gang, one of Haiti’s most feared criminal organizations, which operates from the nearby Savien area. Some reports also mention involvement or support from allied armed groups, including Kokorat San Ras.

The assaults began in the early hours of Sunday in the rural Jean-Denis area near Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite. Residents told local media, including Le Nouvelliste, that heavily armed gang members arrived “from all directions,” torching homes and shooting at fleeing civilians. Survivors described discovering bodies strewn along roads the following morning.

A second deadly assault reportedly struck on Monday, with the gang maintaining control over parts of the area by blocking roads and digging trenches to hinder police response. Violence continued into a third day, with armed groups repositioning and threatening or attacking communities on the outskirts of Marchand Dessalines, located about 19 km north.

The Artibonite department is Haiti’s vital agricultural breadbasket, producing much of the country’s rice and other staple crops. The ongoing chaos has worsened displacement and heightened concerns over food insecurity in an already fragile nation.

Police sources indicate that specialized units are attempting to reach the affected zones, but gang control of key access points has severely delayed operations.

This latest wave of violence comes just before the anticipated ramp-up of the new international Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in April. The UN-backed force is expected to take a more aggressive approach to confronting armed groups across the country, building on — and eventually replacing — previous multinational security efforts.

The United Nations and human rights organizations have expressed deep alarm over the attacks. The UN Secretary-General’s office has condemned the violence and called for a thorough, independent investigation into what some describe as a “massacre” in Haiti’s key farming region.

Human rights groups have criticized the lack of rapid security response, warning that the abandonment of rural areas to armed groups exacerbates the humanitarian crisis.

The Gran Grif gang has been linked to previous attacks in the Artibonite region and was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States in 2025.

As bodies remain uncollected in some areas due to ongoing insecurity, local activists and residents are urging authorities and the international community to act swiftly to restore security and provide support to the thousands displaced.

This incident underscores the expanding reach of gang violence beyond Port-au-Prince into Haiti’s rural heartland, threatening both lives and the country’s already strained food production.