A mob in Haiti’s capital beat and burned 13 suspected gang members to death on Monday, police and witnesses said.
The alleged gang members were reportedly beaten with gasoline-soaked tires and set alight after police seized them and were searching their vehicle. The brutality underscores the extremely turbulent nature of Port-au-Prince, where criminal gangs control more than half of the city, according to the Associated Press.
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A witness told the news outlet that members of the public took the suspected gangsters away from police, beat and stoned them, then put tires over their heads, poured gasoline, and lit them aflame. Police said the mob took the suspected gang members away from them, but it was not made clear how.
The violence in Haiti has increased since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in July 2021. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has led the Caribbean nation since then but has been unable to put a stop to the rise of violent gangs.
In a report published last week, the United Nations said Haiti is facing successive economic recessions, with an unprecedented level of insecurity due to gang violence.
The report noted that more than 5.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Haiti has a population of about 11.5 million people.
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“Every day, more and more people are falling into extreme poverty,” the report, which provides the framework for a plan to support and develop Haiti over the next five years, stated.
“As the situation in the country rapidly deteriorates, the plan will address the most immediate humanitarian and protection needs,” Ulrika Richardson, resident coordinator of the United Nations system in Haiti, said. “The Haitian people desperately want peace and security, and we should all support efforts to achieve this.”
