La Chapelle Locked Down by Gangs: Towards the Total Isolation of Lower Artibonite

After the tragic events in Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau, it is now the commune of La Chapelle that is bearing the full brunt of gang fury, this Sunday, June 22, 2025. The police station was set on fire and reduced to ashes, and several public and private buildings, including the town's high school, were ravaged by flames. The police have deserted the town. The takeover of this commune raises fears of imminent attacks on neighboring localities, particularly the commune of Verrettes, and risks creating a direct connection with Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, already trapped in the clutches of the 'Gran Grif' gang. A Sad Anniversary for Normil One year after Rameau Normil's arrival at the head of the Haitian National Police, results are slow to materialize. Territories under gang control continue to expand, and the situation seems to worsen daily. A small, peaceful commune in the district of Saint-Marc, La Chapelle, bordering Saut-d’Eau, spans nearly 145 km² and had over 30,000 inhabitants in 2015, distributed among the communal sections of Martineau and Bossous. Today, this territory is experiencing one of its darkest hours. According to the mayor of La Chapelle, Fonrose Dieuseul Robinson, bandits from the armed group 'Taliban,' originating from Canaan and led by the feared Jeff Larose, alias 'Gwo Lwa,' have taken complete control of the town. They are burning houses and destroying everything in their path. Faced with them, the police, insufficient in number, offered only weak resistance before retreating. The police station was set on fire, then ransacked. For now, no official human toll has been communicated, but population displacements are intensifying. Entire families, fleeing with their meager belongings and donkeys laden with goods, are hastily crossing the Artibonite River to find refuge elsewhere. Official figures are not yet available from usual counting institutions such as the IOM. Verrettes in the Crosshairs Beyond La Chapelle, the risk is immense. This strategic axis is closing off, threatening to completely cut off the connection between the Central Department and Artibonite. Lower Artibonite is on the verge of sinking into near-total isolation. Having departed from Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau, where they have been established since late March, the gangs are inexorably continuing their advance. They appear to be heading towards Verrettes and Liancourt, strategic communes, not to mention key localities like Désarmes and Deschapelles, known for their vital commercial activities in the department. Worse still, since the attack, the police are struggling to enter the town to send reinforcements. The commune is already sealed off and barricaded by the bandits, mirroring what happened in Mirebalais. While a strong and urgent response is needed to avoid losing this territory, many are questioning the real effectiveness of the PNH high command, the use of kamikaze drones managed by the Prime Minister's Office, and the lack of visible impact from Kenyan police officers deployed in Haiti since June 24, 2024. The country watches, powerless, its territory collapse piece by piece under the weight of weapons and indifference.