UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The United Nations designated skilled on human rights for Haiti, William O’Neill, is warning that with armed gangs increasing their affect, self-defence teams morphing into gang-like entities, and public officers performing with impunity, Haiti is slowly changing into one thing just like the Wild West.
In an interview with UN Information, O’Neill stated what’s creating situations akin to the Wild West is desperation, with over 1.3 million Haitians displaced and half of the nation going hungry.
He stated such situations make desperation a lived actuality.
Nonetheless, O’Neill stays hopeful that the devastation in Haiti could be stopped, however provided that the world is keen to decide to it.
Initially of this month, the UN reported that between the start of April and the tip of June, armed violence in Haiti killed 1,520 individuals and injured 609 extra. These numbers are much like these from the primary quarter of 2025, when 1,617 individuals had been killed and 580 had been injured.
“I’ve by no means met a gang chief. I’ve met some younger boys who had been in a gang, who the police had arrested,” O’Neill stated, including that one of many boys interviewed was about 12, and he was a avenue little one.
O’Neill stated his household had deserted him and he was dwelling on his wits, stealing, begging. And at one level, a gang member approached him and stated, “We’ll offer you a sizzling meal a day. We’ll offer you some cash each week, however you’re going to be a lookout.”
O Neill stated that the boy did that for a number of months, till the police caught on, after which they arrested him.
“The others we interviewed had comparable tales of deep poverty, whole lack of choices, and lack of hope. The gangs in lots of areas, imagine it or not, current one thing that appears good.”
O’Neill described as “hell on earth” the newest report on human rights, which had many heart-wrenching examples.
“Each day I’m getting data, and folks describe to me simply how horrible it’s. It’s like a mafia, a felony mafia that lives off the inhabitants. I’ve by no means seen something prefer it. The affect of violence on financial, social, and cultural rights, along with the best to life, the best to bodily integrity, and the best to entry to meals, well being care, clear water, shelter, training, has all been severely compromised.”
He talked about that one of the crucial irritating elements of his work is participating in conversations with individuals in Port-au-Prince.
“The humanitarian individuals generally have a bag of rice to offer them, which I don’t. It’s exhausting. We emphasize the significance of precisely portraying what is going on. A part of it’s the advocacy function, in order that we will convey to the policymakers that is what’s taking place.
“Sooner or later, we hope that the perpetrators will face justice. However we will’t make false guarantees. We emphasize the significance of setting the report straight and preventing impunity, a big subject in Haiti. It’s usually been the case that individuals have gotten away with homicide, and a rustic can’t survive like that. ”
The latest report singled out the general public prosecutor in Miragoâne as somebody who killed upwards of 80 individuals with whole “impunity,” and the UN human rights official stated that as a substitute of eroding belief within the authorities, “the inhabitants takes the alternative view,” and that prosecutor “is extraordinarily widespread.
“He’s seen as standing as much as the gangs, as preserving individuals secure.” I’ve raised his case with two completely different ministers of justice throughout my visits. I stated, “You may’t have this. You may’t have a prosecutor who’s executing individuals.” They nod their heads, saying they find out about it, however as a result of he’s so widespread, individuals are afraid to confront him.
“Why is he widespread? It’s as a result of the establishments have failed. It’s this vicious cycle that, so long as the establishments are nonetheless so weak, you could have the Wild West like in outdated American films, the place the sheriff is the choose, jury, and executioner, multi function. And that’s why you even have the self-defence teams.”
Requested if the self-defence teams are additionally widespread, O’Neill stated it relies upon.
“The teams are fairly controversial. In some instances, the teams begin performing like gangs; they are going to demand cash and get very violent. In the event you’re a younger man that they don’t recognise and have a tattoo or don’t have ID, they are going to kill the individual on the spot and burn the physique.”
The report additionally famous that the safety forces are utilizing drones an increasing number of to focus on the gangs, and O’Neill stated “desperation” has led the federal government to begin utilizing drones now.
“The gang leaders are ensconced in very well-protected, well-guarded areas. It’s bodily very exhausting for an under-resourced nationwide police and a Kenyan-led multinational pressure to seize a gang chief.
“Human rights issues are fairly critical with this method. Haiti will not be technically an armed battle. Police are solely allowed to make use of lethal pressure in minimal circumstances when their very own lives are in peril, when a 3rd occasion’s life is in peril, or they haven’t any different choice.
“And that’s an issue — the gang chief, all through his tenure as a gang chief, is posing a menace, however at that second, is he threatening the police officer or a 3rd occasion? And are there different strategies you may nonetheless strive that aren’t deadly?
“I discover it exhausting to see the way you meet these situations with these drones. They name them kamikaze drones. They only ship them in, and so they hope that when it explodes, it kills a gang chief,” O’Neill added.
Requested whether or not there may be hope for Haiti’s future, O’Neill responded by saying, “Haiti will not be a misplaced trigger.
“It’s doable. It’s not straightforward; if it had been, it could have occurred by now. However the Safety Council has recognized three key steps: a multinational pressure that’s totally outfitted, sanctions, and stopping the movement of weapons from the US.
“And when you did all these three issues without delay, with robustness, you’d have the ability to overcome the gangs pretty shortly as a result of they’re not widespread. The individuals hate them.
“After I have a look at Sudan or Gaza or Ukraine, I generally simply throw up my palms. However in Haiti, we will do that if we do what’s already licensed by the Safety Council,” O’Neill advised UN Information.
