UN Chief Condemns Reported Killing of 40 in Gang Attack on Haitian Village

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the reported killing of at least 40 people in a fishing village north of Haiti’s capital, calling it another sign of spiraling gang violence.

Local media said the attack occurred Thursday night in Labodrie, where armed groups also set the village on fire. The violence reportedly followed the killing of a local gang leader known as Vladimir, a member of the Viv Ansanm alliance, which the US designated a terrorist organization in May.

“The Secretary-General is alarmed by the levels of violence rocking Haiti and urges the Haitian authorities to ensure that perpetrators of these and all other human rights abuses and violations are brought to justice,” the UN said in a statement.

The US State Department has blamed Viv Ansanm for driving instability and violence across Haiti, noting its members now control large swaths of Port-au-Prince and have expanded into nearby regions. Haiti’s National Police declined to comment on the reported killings.