(Reuters) – According to a report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Haitian gangs are becoming increasingly economically independent and powerful. This is due to the fact that they are coercing funds from various sources such as private businesses, local residents, and families of kidnapping victims, in order to pay for weapons and soldiers.
The report states that the gangs have transformed from being dependent on public or private patronage to becoming violent entrepreneurs. This has made them more territorially powerful and economically autonomous, posing a challenge to a U.N.-backed international force that was requested by Haiti’s unelected government in October 2022.
While the U.N. approved the force, details about its size and deployment timeline have not been released.
The report also highlights the extortion of businesses, with gangs demanding up to $20,000 per week and a percentage of container shipments. Gangs are also setting up checkpoints to collect money from passing vehicles, earning up to $8,000 per day. The report also points to a growing trend of mass kidnappings and reports of organ trafficking in certain areas of the capital.
The report recommends that the U.N.-backed force focus on securing the country’s borders to prevent the influx of weapons, preventing leaks of intelligence, and strategizing with sanctions committees. It also notes that current U.N. sanctions targeting five gang leaders have had limited impact, as these leaders have little need to travel or keep money abroad, and can easily recoup funds through kidnappings.
Overall, the report paints a grim picture of the increasing power and autonomy of Haitian gangs, and the challenges faced by international efforts to combat them.
(Reporting by Sarah Morland)
