Overview:

Human rights groups and international actors condemned the killing of more than 50 civilians in Labodrie, Arcahaïe district. They say Haiti’s state failed to protect its citizens and denounced gang-led calls for displaced residents to return. Authorities pledged security measures after days of silence, while violence continues to spread across the country.

PORT-AU-PRINCE — More than 50 people were killed in the Labodrie massacre last week, human rights groups confirmed Tuesday, as national and international actors condemned the atrocity and urged action against Haiti’s gangs.

The killings occurred Sept. 11 in Labodrie, Cabaret, a rural fishing community in the Arcahaïe district—about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince, the capital city. Victims included women, children and the elderly. Witnesses said survivors fled as attackers stormed homes, while several bodies remain missing or unrecovered — some reportedly devoured by stray dogs.

In this context,  the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) highlights that the exact number of human lives lost and homes destroyed in the Labodrie community is still unknown.

Survivors recounted that the Sept. 11 attack was ruthless and indiscriminate, striking families, including children and the elderly.

The RNDDH denounced the massacre as further evidence of the dangers behind gang-led calls for displaced residents to return to neighborhoods still under their control.

“Authorities believe that by abandoning the population to fend for itself against armed gangs, they will avoid accountability,” RNDDH said Tuesday. “Nothing could be further from the truth. It is the duty of the state — transitional or otherwise — to protect its citizens, not armed groups with criminal agendas.”

“The massacre that took place in Labodrie is a painful reminder of the precarious protection provided by the state in Haiti.”

César Marín, Campaigns Director of Amnesty International

Witnesses suggested the rising violence against Labodrie may have been sparked by the earlier killing of a local Viv Ansanm gang leader in Cabaret, known as Vladimir. Local authorities reported that the massacre followed several days of clashes between police and gang members trying to take control of Arcahaïe, after their consolidation of power in neighboring Cabaret on Sept. 6. Law enforcement and municipal brigades had pushed the gangs back, forcing them into Labodrie, where residents were accused of supporting the authorities.

Similar to numerous other bloodbaths in the past, officials once again delayed their response, and international bodies condemned the massacre.  Still, residents have been left unprotected, leaving many reeling.

The Haitian government remained silent for days after the Sept. 11 killings. It was only on Sept. 15 that the Presidential Transition Council (CPT) officially addressed the massacre, in an official statement, pledging to deploy specialized police units, step up patrols in Arcahaïe and Cabaret and provide humanitarian assistance to victims’ families.

“The government reaffirms its determination to restore peace and security across the entire national territory,” the statement read. “The gangs will never be stronger than the Republic.”

Still, the lag in response — echoing previous delays during waves of violence — has fueled criticism that the state reacts symbolically and too late, rather than preventing mass killings or reclaiming gang-controlled territory.

Calls to return considered deceptive

The Sept. 11 massacre came just weeks after Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, FBI-wanted alleged criminal and leader of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, urged displaced residents to return home. In a report published Monday, RNDDH warned such calls are often deceptive, citing at least 19 instances since 2019 where alleged “peace deals” between gangs collapsed, leading to renewed civilian massacres.

The group said true peace requires dismantling criminal groups, prosecuting perpetrators, compensating survivors and providing lasting protection for residents in affected areas.

International condemnations as violence spreads beyond Arcahaïe

Amnesty International condemned the massacre, calling it proof of the Haitian state’s inability to protect its population.

“The massacre that took place in Labodrie is a painful reminder of the precarious protection provided by the state in Haiti,” said César Marín, the group’s Campaigns Director for the Americas. “Immediate measures must be taken to ensure victims receive real protection and justice.”

The European Union Delegation and the embassies of France and Spain issued a joint statement urging Haiti to create specialized judicial units to prosecute financial and mass crimes.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, condemned the armed gang attack, aligning with the United States’ stance, which emphasized that after the massacre, Haitians and the international community must work together to stop the “terrorist gangs” responsible for ongoing violence.

The United States, through its embassy in Port-au-Prince, also condemned strongly the mass killings, stressing that Haitians and international partners must unite to dismantle what they called “terrorist gangs.”

“Authorities believe that by abandoning the population to fend for itself against armed gangs, they will avoid accountability. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Human rights network, RNDDH 

At the UN on Sept. 13, Secretary-General António Guterres renewed calls for member states to accelerate the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) with more personnel, logistics and funding.

“The Secretary-General voiced his alarm at the levels of violence rocking Haiti and urged the Haitian authorities to ensure that perpetrators of these and all other human rights abuses and violations are brought to justice,” spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said.

While officials issued statements, gang attacks continued elsewhere. On Sept. 15, armed groups killed a police driver and wounded two officers in Kenscoff, before destroying the Liancourt police station in the lower Artibonite Department and forcing officers to flee.

The Haitian government has doubled down on its rhetoric, declaring: “The State will not back down, and the Republic does not negotiate with terror. No armed group will ever be stronger than the Nation.”

Yet for many Haitians, the repeated cycle of massacres, delayed responses and renewed pledges underscores the gap between promises of protection and the realities on the ground.

Timeline of major massacres by armed groups since 2018

• La Saline, Port-au-Prince (Nov. 2018): At least 71 killed in gang-led massacre. State response delayed; UN and rights groups condemned, but no major prosecutions.
• Bel Air, Solino, Savanne Pistache/Port-au-Prince (2020–2021): Series of killings left dozens dead. Authorities promised inquiries, but impunity prevailed.
• Plaine du Cul-de-Sac (La Plaine, Avril-May 2022): More than 200 killed in clashes led by the 400 Mawozo gang; government absent for weeks. International community issued statements, but little concrete support followed.
• Carrefour-Feuilles (Aug. 2023): Dozens killed; residents fled en masse. Officials vowed security reinforcements, but gangs tightened their grip.
• Wharf Jérémie, Cité Soleil (Dec. 2024): Gang led by notorious leader Micanord “Wa Mikanò” Altès killed over 200. 
• Pont-Sondé and other Artibonite areas (2024-2025), including Gros-Morne, Terre-Neuve, La Chapelle, Liancourt and L’Estère: Gangs killed hundreds, forced the displacement of thousands and burned down homes and farms.
• Mirebalais & Saut-d’Eau (March 2025): Coordinated gang attacks killed scores, displacing thousands. The government condemned violence but failed to reclaim territory.
• Labodrie, Arcahaïe (Sept. 2025): Over 50 people and counting killed. 

Pattern: Each massacre follows the same cycle — killings, delayed government statements or no response, international condemnation and renewed promises of action — with little change on the ground.

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