Violence in Haiti’s Capital Leaves at Least 184 Dead, Mostly Elderly Vodou Practitioners
A weekend of violence in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has left at least 184 people dead, with many more displaced. The majority of the victims were elderly Vodou practitioners, who were targeted by a powerful gang leader who believed they were responsible for his son’s illness.
According to the Committee for Peace and Development, the gang leader, convinced that his son’s condition was caused by Vodou followers, ordered the execution of at least 110 elderly people and practitioners of the religion. Gang soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes and taking them to the leader’s stronghold to be killed.
The United Nations’ rights commissioner, Volker Türk, confirmed the deaths, saying that the weekend’s killings bring the death toll in Haiti this year to a staggering 5,000 people. The violence took place in the western coastal neighborhood of Cité Soleil, an area controlled by gangs that have been responsible for much of the country’s recent instability.
Haiti has struggled with decades of instability, and the situation has escalated in recent months. In February, armed groups launched coordinated attacks to overthrow the then prime minister, Ariel Henry. Despite a police support mission backed by the US and UN, violence has continued to soar, with gangs controlling 80% of the city.
The Committee for Peace and Development reported that most of the victims of violence over the weekend were over 60, and that some young people who tried to rescue others were also among the casualties. The organization also reported that more than 100 people were massacred, their bodies mutilated and burned in the street.
The violence is the latest blow to Haiti’s Vodou community, which has been the target of historical attacks by other religions. Vodou was brought to Haiti by enslaved people from Africa and is a mainstay of the country’s culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and recognized only as an official religion by the government in 2003.
The crisis in Haiti has also displaced over 700,000 people, half of whom are children, according to October figures from the UN’s International Organization for Migration. The violence and displacement have left many Haitians struggling to survive, and the international community is calling for an end to the violence and humanitarian aid to support those affected.
