Haiti and its Lost Territories: From Martissant to Mirebalais, 4 Years of State Inaction

Four years after gang assaults in Martissant, a report by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH) paints an alarming picture of the loss of control over several areas of the country, highlighting impunity and the inaction of authorities. Over a million displaced people, thousands dead and kidnapped: Haiti is sinking into an unprecedented security crisis.

June 1, 2025, marks four years since the beginning of Haiti's fragmentation, triggered by the assault on Martissant, a strategic district of the capital. On that day in 2021, violent clashes erupted between rival gangs in Martissant and Fontamara. Despite several attempts, the police were quickly overwhelmed. Gangs took control, and Martissant became a territory under criminal domination.

According to the CARDH report, violence rapidly intensified, spreading not only to the capital but also to other regions of the country. Between June 6 and 7, 2021, gangs from Gran Ravin and Village-de-Dieu seized key areas such as Pont Breyard, Martissant 7, 2A, 2B, 4, and 23. Leaders were installed in these neighborhoods, and despite several interventions, the police failed to regain control. Finally, on March 20, 2023, the State officially recognized Martissant as a lost territory.

The report, over 30 pages long, reveals that 28 territories are now considered lost, 25 of which are in the West department. It records over 1,064,000 internally displaced persons, 4,716 assassinations, including 136 police officers killed or missing, and 3,363 kidnappings. Furthermore, 102 public institutions (referring to the Le Relief Inter agency) and 622 private ones have been forced to close, relocate, been vandalized, or burned down.

CARDH denounces the passivity and complicity of several political officials, whom it considers directly involved in the worsening of the crisis. It also recalls that the « Viv Ansanm » and « Gran Grif » gangs were designated as international terrorist organizations by the United States in May 2025. This decision is deemed important but will remain ineffective if not followed by concrete, sustainable, and coordinated measures.

Among the solutions discussed is possible collaboration with the private security company Academi (formerly Blackwater), cited in a New York Times investigation. However, any external intervention, CARDH insists, must operate within a clear legal framework, respect human rights, and be accompanied by mechanisms for control, transparency, and accountability.

In parallel, the report recommends an urgent reform of the security legal framework, the creation of well-trained and equipped specialized anti-gang units, an increase in police and army personnel, the lifting of the arms embargo, land, air, and maritime logistical support for security forces, the construction of a high-security prison, as well as the implementation of reintegration programs for children enrolled in gangs. It also calls for the creation of a specialized judicial unit to exclusively handle criminal cases related to gangs.