Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
Overview:
Gran Grif gang kills dozens in Pont Sondé; survivors seek refuge and aid amidst ongoing violence.
Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story, and details will be updated as more information becomes available. Please check back for the latest updates.
BREAKING NEWS UPDATE | Last updated 3 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 4
Haitian National Police (PNH) have intensified operations in Saint-Marc to regain control after a brutal attack by the Gran Grif gang, with the death count now over 70, more people seriously injured and at least 3,000 fled their homes, according to a statement by Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in Haiti.
Police Commissioner Jude Chéry confirmed that PNH forces, bolstered by new equipment from the Central Administration, are working to push back the gang members. Saint-Nicolas Hospital has treated 21 gunshot victims, with five confirmed fatalities and at least 16 people critically injured.
The total death toll continues to climb as more bodies are discovered. Survivors recounted being dragged from their homes in the early morning hours and marched to the gang’s base in Savien, where many were executed. In addition to the killings, the gang set fire to 45 homes and 34 vehicles, leaving many families displaced and without shelter, according to Al-Kheetan.
Local leaders, including former mayor Abdalla Mimi, have blamed internal conflicts within the PNH for the delayed response, noting that better coordination between police departments could have mitigated the massacre. Community groups continue to demand more robust government intervention as hundreds of displaced residents take refuge in Philippe Guerrier public square. Authorities have yet to assess the damage fully, and residents remain on edge, fearing further attacks.
The Thursday massacre is the latest sign of a worsening crisis in the nation, where armed gangs control most of the capital and are expanding to nearby regions, notably in the Artibonite department—Haiti’s breadbasket area and crossing connecting Port-au-Prince to the north—fueling hunger and thousands of homeless.
“This odious crime against defenseless women, men and children is not only an attack against the victims but against the entire nation,” Prime Minister Garry Conille said on X.
[Original story published 4 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 3]
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Armed bandits from the Savien gang have killed more than 50 people according to early estimates by a government official and injured dozens during an attack in the locality of the Pont Sondé, located in the commune of Saint-Marc in the Artibonite department of Haiti, on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Many residents who are sending SOS calls to the police authorities to request help against the gang’s assault have fled their homes during this murderous invasion by the Gran Grif gang. The exact number of victims from Thursday’s attack is not yet known.
Some injured individuals have been urgently transported to Saint-Nicolas Hospital. This new attack has created a state of panic in the Pont Sondé area and among the inhabitants of neighboring areas, such as Saint-Marc.
Local press reports that the Savien gang, notably Gran Grif, have completely taken control of Pont-Sondé since this morning. Hundreds of families fleeing the violence of the “Gran Grif” gang in Pont-Sondé are currently located in Philippe Guerrier public square in Saint-Marc.
The gangs continue to impose their reign of terror, while the authorities of the presidential transition council and the government led by Garry Conille keep promising the population a return to peace in the country. Meanwhile, the Savien bandits continue to kill and create an unprecedented climate of violence in the Artibonite Valley.
This year, gangs operating in the Artibonite department have launched several attacks against residents of various communes in the region. Among them, the gang Kokorat San Ras instilled terror in August in the communities of Rivière Blanche and Canifice in Gros-Morne, located about thirty kilometers north of Gonaïves. During these attacks, at least 10 people were killed, six were kidnapped, and several houses and farms were set on fire.
In the end, the gang groups demanded $298 per household to allow residents to return or reclaim their homes.
On June 14-15, heavily armed men on 10 motorcycles burst through neighboring rural communities of Lagon and Grande Plaine—Savanne Carrée, in Terre-Neuve and Gros-Morne, killing as many as 10 people, including a pregnant woman on the verge of labor. During the attack, which was an attempted kidnapping that turned into a bloodbath, one individual was critically injured, and the bandits burned down 20 houses.
These criminal groups make normal life impossible for the inhabitants, disrupting their daily activities and means of livelihood. In response to this gang violence, residents felt compelled to take to the streets again to protest and call on authorities to combat the gangs.
They criticize the national police for doing nothing to eradicate acts of banditry in the region. They explain that they can no longer carry out their daily activities due to the presence of Kokorat San Ras, which blocks roads and even occupies farmers’ passages to their fields.
This situation creates major food insecurity for them in the department.
The Gran Grif gang has resumed its attacks even though its leader, Luckson Elan, has just been sanctioned by the United States for his criminal activities. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) affirms that Elan’s actions constitute serious violations of human rights related to gang activity in the Artibonite department of Haiti.
The United States, relying on the report from the UN expert group to sanction Elan and former Haitian parliamentarian Prophane Victor, states that “the levels of violence and the degree of cruelty that gangs are willing to reach to violate human rights are unprecedented.” They orchestrate regular and indiscriminate attacks against the population and obstruct humanitarian aid.
On September 27, the UN Security Council Committee, established by resolution 2653, added Victor and Elan to the list of individuals sanctioned by the UN in Haiti. Their names have been sent to INTERPOL in special notices, alerting the global police community about individuals and entities subject to sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.