At least 42 people were killed this week in Laboderie, north of Port-au-Prince, in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months as armed groups expand their control and state institutions struggle to respond.

RELATED:

Haiti’s Cycle of Violence Deepens as Civil Militias Join Fight Against Gangs

Local authority Baptiste Joseph Louis confirmed on Friday that the killings took place a day earlier in Arcahaie municipality, around 40 kilometers from the capital. He said the armed coalition Viv Ansanm carried out the assault after being pushed back by police and local self-defense brigades. The attackers returned to Laboderie, leaving dozens dead. Bodies were abandoned in the streets, some partially devoured by dogs, while survivors fled.

The human rights group Collectif Défenseurs Plus condemned what it described as a “new wave of deadly violence” and demanded accountability from the state. The group recalled that on September 11, about 40 people were executed in Cabaret in reprisal for the death of gang leader “Vladimir” and several of his men during clashes with security forces on September 7.

According to the NGO, the assailants in Laboderie also burned homes and property. “These executions, committed indiscriminately, reflect a barbaric logic of revenge against a defenseless population and tolerated by state authorities,” the organization said.

Defenders Plus reported that violence is spreading across multiple regions. In Lower Artibonite, gangs are intensifying attacks to control roads and communication routes. In the Central Department, the number of internally displaced people has more than doubled this year due to violence in Mirebalais and Saut d’Eau. The group warned that residents of the capital region live in constant fear, with restricted access to health care, food, education and transport in areas dominated by armed groups.

“The tragedy of Laboderie illustrates a violence fueled by impunity and the absence of the State. Haiti needs a national and international response that is urgent and coordinated to curb the violence of armed groups,” the organization said in a statement.

On Thursday, Organization of American States Secretary-General Albert Ramdin highlighted the unity of the body’s 32 member states in supporting a renewed international security mission for Haiti, set to replace the current mandate expiring in October. “This demonstrates hemispheric solidarity and unity, and for me it is especially important because I have always hoped this organization could be valuable in working together,” Ramdin said.

As killings intensify in Haiti, rights groups warn that without urgent national and international action, communities will remain exposed to unchecked armed violence and deepening insecurity.

IN THIS ARTICLE