Haiti gang kills 110+ people in Cite Soleil for 'witchcraft practice'
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Haiti gang leader Monel "Mikano" Felix carried out a massacre particularly targeting the elderly, accusing them of using witchcraft on his late son.
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The bodies of suspected gang members who were set on fire by residents, sit in a pile in the middle of a road in the Pétion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, on November 19, 2024. (AP)
At least 110 people were killed in Haiti's Cité Soleil ghetto over the weekend after a gang leader launched a murder spree, specifically targeting elderly people he suspected of using witchcraft to cause his son's illness, the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) said on Sunday.
Monel "Mikano" Felix, leader of the Wharf Jeremie gang, orchestrated the massacre after consulting a Voodoo priest who blamed elderly residents for making his child, who died on Saturday, ill through witchcraft, according to RNDDH.
Gang members reportedly killed at least 60 people on Friday and another 50 on Saturday using machetes and knives. All victims were over the age of 60.
Cité Soleil, a densely populated slum near the port in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, is one of the country’s poorest and most violent areas. Strict gang control, including restrictions on mobile phone use, has hindered residents from reporting details of the massacre.
The United Nations estimates that Felix's gang includes around 300 members, who also operate around Fort Dimanche and La Saline, nearby cities.
Haiti's struggle with gangs
Haiti's ongoing struggle with gang violence has intensified since February, when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince, declaring their intent to oust then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Henry resigned in April and was succeeded by Garry Conille, who was dismissed earlier this month by the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT). Alix Didier Fils-Aime, the current prime minister, has pledged to restore order and conduct national elections, the first since 2016.
Gangs now control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince, frequently targeting civilians despite the presence of a Kenya-led multinational security mission deployed earlier this year.
The violence has taken a heavy toll on the population. Since November 11, at least 150 people have been killed in the capital, and over 20,000 residents have been displaced, according to United Nations figures.
The UN estimates that at least 4,544 people have been killed due to gang violence across the country in 2024 alone.
