On 13 November 2018, a

massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

began within the La Saline

slums A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily in ...

of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. According to reports, 15 to 25 civilians were killed over a 24-hour period. It is alleged that the killings were either due to local gang wars or the actions of Haitian officials attempting to quell anti-corruption protests.

Background

In October 2017, U.N. peacekeepers ended their mission in Haiti after 13 years. Since the departure of the U.N., the number of gang-controlled areas in the city has apparently grown. The massacre occurred in the middle of various protests within Haiti:

Jovenel Moïse Jovenel Moïse (; ; 26 June 1968 – 7 July 2021) was a Haitian entrepreneur and politician, who served as the 43rd President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. He was sworn in as president in February 2017 after winning the ...

was elected president in November 2016, but protestors saw him corrupt.

Incident

Witness reports state that a police truck carrying uniformed men arrived in Port-au-Prince's La Saline slums at around 3 p.m. on 13 November 2018. The men then opened fire upon civilians, while local gang members killed others with gunfire and machetes. According to witnesses, a human-rights group, at least 21 men were killed in the massacre. A local human-rights group, Fondasyon Je Klere, estimated that between 15 and 25 people were killed.

Arrests

According to police, one person has been arrested in connection with the killings.

Identity of perpetrators

Fondasyon Je Klere suggested links between armed gangs, corrupt police officers and government officials may point towards the perpetrators of the massacre. Those who witnessed the massacre also alleged that the killers may have been corrupt police officers, leading the National Police chief to suspend two officers accused of involvement in the killings.

Responses

The

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

has launched an investigation into the killings. In December 2020, the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions against Jimmy Chérizier, a former officer who became a gang leader, Fednel Monchery, and Joseph Pierre Richard Duplan, two officials in the Moise administration, for their alleged involvement in the massacre.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Port-au-Prince massacre,2018 Massacres in Haiti November 2018 events in North America 2018 in Haiti Massacres in 2018 2018 crimes in Haiti