Over 25 killed and many kidnapped by gangs in Gressier, Haiti

Editor’s Notes: This is a developing story. We will post updates as more information becomes available.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A horrifying attack led Sunday by an armed gang coalition known as “103 Zombie” of Bourgogne killed at least 25 people and kidnapped numerous others, including a Catholic priest in the small town of Gressier, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Port-au-Prince. 

This gang massacre serves as a stark reminder of the resurgence of violence in Haiti, as these criminal groups seek to demonstrate their offensive capabilities to the authorities. The attack coincides with changes in the command of the Haitian National Police (PNH), adding to the already tense situation in the country.

Furthermore, this act of violence can be seen as a signal to the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, which has recently begun to take shape with the deployment of the first Kenyan contingent of police officers. The gangs’ actions may also be intended to challenge the authority of both the Haitian government and the international forces that aim to restore security and stability to the country.

“We were hit very hard in Gressier,” political leader Emmanuel Ménard said on  X. “The people continue to pay with their blood for the bad acts of terrorism. Today it is your turn [the new leaders] because security is the people’s priority.” 

According to Gressier’s Mayor Jean Vladimir Bertrand, who spoke with local media, over 200 heavily armed bandits stormed the town and attacked the local police station, taking the police officers hostage. Bertrand said the armed gangs used encirclement tactics to trap the police during their lunch break.

Bolstered by forces from the Nippes, South-East and South departments, officers from the PNH’s special task force were able to chase the bandits and rapidly regain control of the partially demolished police station. The bandits retreated into the hills, where they continued their assaults on residents, burning several houses, killing multiple people and forcing hundreds of families to flee the town.

Officials have not yet reported an exhaustive assessment of the gang attack, but Mayor Bertrand indicated that at least 25 people, including close relatives, were killed in the city center yesterday. Several others, including Emmanuel Saintéliat, the Catholic priest of Saint Jean-Baptiste parish in Gressier, were kidnapped by a coalition of three gang groups.

Relieved by the police’s rapid intervention, Bertrand said the PNH response occurred within a few hours of the attack, unlike a previous offensive against the town’s police station, which took three days to address.

Gangs continue to challenge the authorities

The police action followed the declaration of Minister of Justice Carlos Hercule, who had promised during a conference while visiting the women’s prison in Pétion-Ville that the police would respond to the “criminal acts of the bandits” in the town of Gressier.

“The government is informed of the situation in Gressier,” said Hercule, acting as prime minister in the absence of Garry Conille, who is currently on a mission in the United States. “The National Police are actively working to provide an adequate response to the acts perpetrated by armed gangs at the police station in the commune of Gressier.”

This is the first major attack orchestrated by armed gangs since the installation of Rameau Normil as new director general of the PNH. 

Normil was appointed last week to replace Frantz Elbé to restore security throughout the national territory and combat the gangs that are overwhelming the police and terrorizing the Haitian people, notably in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. Since his arrival as the new director general, Normil has already made several changes within the police institution to address the security emergency facing the country.

Divisional Commissioner Julbert Conseillant was appointed departmental director of West-1, replacing Divisional Commissioner Cantave Yvon, who was transferred to the Office of the Director General. Additionally, Divisional Commissioner Xavier Séide has become the new Departmental Director of West-2, replacing Principal Commissioner Roger Lamartinière, who was also transferred to the Office of the Director General of the PNH.

On Monday night, just as the police regained control over the commune of Gressier, the “Viv Ansanm,” Live Together in English, gang coalition led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier attacked the Saint-Charles sub-police station in the nearby commune of Carrefour, about seven south of Port-au-Prince. The bandits set the Saint-Charles substation on fire.