Authorities Issue Arrest Warrants After Deadly Attacks on Peaceful Community

Authorities Issue Arrest Warrants

Haitian authorities have issued arrest warrants for over a dozen individuals suspected of supporting gang members responsible for attacking a peaceful community near the capital for the past three weeks. The attacks have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including three police officers, one soldier, and a two-month-old baby.

Among those accused are former Senator Nenel Cassy and former Kenscoff legislator Alfredo Antoine. Both could not be reached for comment.

The Cooperative for Peace and Development, a local human rights group, has called for the creation of a special international criminal tribunal to try those responsible for the killings. They estimate that thousands of people, including children, have been killed across Haiti in recent years.

Police spokesman Lionel Lazarre stated that access to the areas controlled by the gangs is difficult, but authorities are determined to fight them. He confirmed that many gang members have been killed in the attacks, but did not provide specific details.

Gangs currently control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have recently expanded their attacks to previously peaceful communities in an attempt to seize more territory. According to the United Nations, over 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year, and gang violence has left over a million people homeless in recent years.