Seven dead and police station set on fire in Marigot as gang violence spreads to south-east Haiti
At least seven people were killed in Seguin, in the municipality of Marigot, during a gang attack in the night of 13 April. Police stations and vehicles were set on fire.
Deadly attack in Seguin: seven dead and police station ablaze in south-east Haiti
According to haitiantimes.com, at least seven people were killed during the night of 13 April in Seguin, a locality in the municipality of Marigot, in the South-East department of Haiti. Armed men also set fire to a police station and destroyed several law enforcement vehicles during the attack.
Lionel Lazarre, former spokesperson of the Haitian National Police (PNH), confirmed the facts on Tuesday via his Instagram account. He described the situation as "critical" and reported that the local population continues to call for intervention by the authorities.
"We launch an urgent appeal to the authorities, in particular the Haitian National Police, so that they act quickly to regain control of the zone, protect human lives and prevent further loss of life," Lazarre said. He warned that "Seguin must not become a lost territory."
Victims identified, armed group unknown
The identity of the armed group responsible for the attack has not been revealed and the authorities have not communicated about the motives for the assault. Videos circulated on social media show several victims burnt, lying side by side. Three of them were identified by residents: Sonet Andresen, Joel and Jeff.
"Look at the state of my men on the ground, my God! Jeff is dead, lying on the ground," says a voice in one of the videos. "All the men are dead," replies another voice.
The attack plunged the Marigot community into mourning and highlighted the growing influence of armed groups in areas previously considered to be relatively calm.
Violence spreading to Artibonite
On the same day, the Savien gang attacked the localities of Kapenyen and Esther, in the Artibonite region, setting fire to several houses, according to local media. No official casualty toll has been communicated for these incidents. Videos circulating online show heavily armed men appearing to celebrate their offensive against these localities.
This attack comes more than two weeks after the assault carried out in late March by the Gran Grif gang in the locality of Jean-Denis, also in Artibonite, which had resulted in more than 70 deaths, dozens of wounded and more than 50 houses burned down.
An acceleration of gangs' territorial expansion
These events illustrate the rapid spread of armed violence beyond Port-au-Prince, towards departments such as Artibonite and Centre, previously considered to be relatively stable. Across Haiti, armed groups have strengthened their grip on roads and major agricultural zones, disrupting food supply chains and forcing entire populations to flee.
Despite ongoing operations by the PNH against criminal groups and the gradual deployment of an international security force, attacks on civilians continue, with little visible state presence in many affected areas.
The United Nations estimates that more than 1.5 million people are currently displaced across the country, and that thousands of people have been killed since 2022.
Source: Google News HT — Port-au-Prince