around fifteen bodies found near the capital Port-au-Prince, devastated by gangs

This new violence, which occurred in a wealthy suburb of the Haitian capital, shows that the serious crisis the country is going through has no respite.

Around fifteen lifeless bodies were found on Monday March 18 in a wealthy suburb of Port-au-Prince, where gang members have been carrying out attacks since dawn, while the social and security situation is “horrible” in the country, according to Unicef. An AFP photographer saw 14 remains in Pétion-Ville, a town located in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince.

Two residents told AFP they had seen around ten bodies, without being able to say under what circumstances these people had been killed. But they claimed that “armed bandits” sowed terror since dawn in Laboule and Thomassin, two neighborhoods of Pétion-Ville. They attacked a bank, a gas station and private residences, residents assured.

Among the vandalized houses is that of a judge at the Court of Auditors, who was able to narrowly evacuate the premises thanks to police intervention, one of his relatives reported to AFP. Shots were still heard in Pétion-Ville at the start of the afternoon. The capital is 80% in the hands of gangs, accused of numerous abuses, in particular murders, rapes, looting and kidnappings for ransom.

The resigned government manages current affairs

Haiti, which was already experiencing a deep political and security crisis, has been gripped by renewed violence since the beginning of the month, when several gangs joined forces to attack strategic locations in Port-au-Prince as part of a fight against the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. Very contested, the latter was unable to return to his country after a trip to Kenya. He announced his resignation last Monday, saying his government would manage current affairs until a presidential transition council is established.

In an emergency meeting the same day with representatives from Haiti, the UN and the United States, among others, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and its partners charged political parties and the private sector Haitians to set up these transitional authorities. But negotiations to form this body of seven voting members have fallen behind schedule, particularly due to internal dissensions. The UN Security Council meets behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the situation in Haiti.