Massacre of elderly in Haiti shakes the nation

The brutal, religiously motivated massacre has been widely condemned as Haitians intensify calls for a return to democratic order and peace.

December 16, 2024 by Pablo Meriguet
Former PM Garry Conille speaking to Haitian police officers. Photo: Garry Conille / X

A brutal massacre of nearly 200 people in the Cité Soleil neighborhood in Port-au-Prince has sent a shockwave across the country and renewed calls from Haitian civil society for an end to gang violence and unrest. In the massacre which took place on Friday, December 6 in Wharf Jérémie, at least 184 people were massacred, including reportedly 127 elderly people.

The massacre was carried out by the gang of Micanor Altes, alias “King” Mikano, after he ordered the massacre of all the elderly people suspected of practicing voodoo. According to media reports, the gang leader ordered the killings because his son was allegedly the target of a “witchcraft” ritual performed by elderly people in the neighborhood.

According to the Haitian National Human Rights Defense Network (Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains – RNDDH), Mikano had asked another voodoo priest about his son’s illness, and the priest reportedly told the gang leader that the elders of Cité Solei had put a kind of spell on his son. Mikano ordered the massacre of the elderly people as an act of revenge. According to RNDDH’s statement, the corpses were mutilated and burned in the streets. Many young people who tried to help the wounded were also killed by the gang.

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and his government said they were appalled by the “despicable massacre,” and ordered an immediate investigation into the events of December 6 and 7. “This barbaric act of unbearable cruelty cost the lives of more than a hundred men and women, mostly defenseless elderly…This monstrous crime is a direct attack on humanity and republican order…The repressive machinery of the State will be deployed to the maximum and with the utmost speed to pursue, capture, and bring to justice the perpetrators and accomplices of this unspeakable butchery.”

António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, also condemned the massacre and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He also called on the Haitian authorities to not allow the crime to go unpunished and to apprehend those responsible for the massacre.

Amnesty International also expressed its concern and regret over the massacre. Ana Pique, Amnesty International’s Americas Director, said “We urge the Haitian authorities and the international community to redouble their efforts to protect the population in the context of the security crisis. Those responsible for massacres and other serious violations of international human rights law must be identified as soon as possible and brought to justice for their actions…The people of Haiti deserve to live free from fear and gang-related violence. We are concerned that more killings may occur unless immediate action is taken to prevent their recurrence. The international community must act urgently to support the Haitian authorities in their obligation to protect people and ensure justice for these heinous crimes.”

Voodoo in Haiti

While there is no exact estimate, many studies estimate that at least 50%, around 5 million people, of the Haitian population practices voodoo in some way as it is often practiced in conjunction with other religions. This confirms that the often stigmatized religion still constitutes one of the most important in the country. The December 6 Wharf Jérémie massacre would be considered one of the most brutal religiously motivated mass killings in Haiti in recent decades.

Violence continues unabated

For several years now, Haiti has been in a spiral of violence that seems to have no end. Despite the imposition of foreign police troops in the country (an operation supported by the UN and financed mainly by the United States) called the Multinational Security Support Mission, homicide rates and other serious crimes do not seem to be decreasing. During this year, more than 5,000 people have been killed, and more than 700,000 have been displaced.

Meanwhile, the gangs have continued to acquire power. In March of this year, former PM Ariel Henry stepped down after armed groups had taken control of an airport and staged a prison break. From October 2-3, over 70 people were massacred by the “gran grif” gang in Pont-Sondé. According to a statement released by RNDDH, hundreds of families were also displaced as a result of the massacre. In their statement they wrote, “The new state authorities, put in place by the international community, had promised to restore order and security in the country. However, nothing has changed since they assumed office. They have merely drained state coffers, granting themselves all sorts of privileges while leaving the population to the mercy of armed gangs. Indeed, since the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) led by Edgard LEBLANC Fils was formed five months ago, and the government led by Garry CONILLE three months ago, no measures have been taken to retake control of gang-occupied areas, disarm the gangs, arrest them, bring them to justice, and convict them in proportion to their crimes.”

On November 12, three US commercial planes were hit by projectiles while flying over Haitian airspace, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to decree the 30-day suspension of operations of US airlines in the Caribbean country.