Amnesty International on Wednesday criticized Haiti’s government for failing to protect its citizens following a deadly gang attack that took place in the town of Petite-Rivière.
“This crime once again highlights the human cost of the authorities’ inability to protect the population, with human rights at the centre,” Astrid Valencia, Amnesty’s deputy director for research for the Americas, said.
The attack occurred on March 29, when a violent clash erupted between an armed gang and a self-defense group. Sixteen people were reportedly killed, but estimates suggest that the death toll could rise as high as 80, according to the UN’s chief spokesman.
The massacre was attributed to Gran Grif, the largest gang in the Artibonite department in Haiti, which has previously conducted deadly attacks against civilians as well as members of the security forces, including the Haitian National Police and the UN-authorized Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).
The UN secretary general’s spokesman stressed how the attack underscores the severity of the security situation in Haiti and said the UN political mission is closely monitoring the situation. Furthermore, Amnesty called on authorities to hold those responsible for the attack accountable and establish necessary conditions to restore security in the country.
The reported attack is the latest in a series of violent acts in a country that has struggled with armed gang violence since 2021, resulting in a humanitarian crisis characterized by famine, mass displacement, disease outbreaks, and widespread human rights abuses against civilians.
To restore order in the nation, the UN created the MSS in 2023 to support national police in re-establishing state control. However, the UN Security Council ended MSS’s mission in 2025 and authorized its transition into a larger body, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
GSF has a more militarized mission than the MSS, working to neutralize, isolate, and deter armed gangs in cooperation with Haitian security forces. Despite these efforts, violence escalated and armed gangs expanded their territorial control, further destabilizing daily life and increasing criminal activity.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime previously reported that Haiti has become a transshipment and destination point for firearms and drug trafficking, which is facilitated by the territorial expansion and coalition of gangs. Gangs have open access to sophisticated military weaponry that surpass the capabilities of national security forces, allowing them to control supply chains as well as commerce and transport routes.
On March 26, the UN called for increased international support to Haitian authorities in combating violent gangs, pointing out that the ongoing war is fueled by illicit arms flows and transnational criminal networks that far exceed the capacities of a weakened state.
