70 killed in Haiti massacre

At least 70 people were killed and 30 injured during an attack near Petite-Riviere in Haiti’s breadbasket Artibonite region, a human rights group said on Monday.

Residents and officials told local media the attack began in the early hours Sunday in rural communities around Jean-Denis, and continued into the early hours of Monday, with gang members storming the area and setting homes on fire.

The Defenseurs Plus rights group said it estimated 6,000 people had been displaced by the violence. The U.N. estimated that more than 2,000 people left their homes in the days prior following raids by armed gangs nearby.

Police initially reported 16 dead and 10 injured, while a preliminary report from civil protection authorities said 17 had died and 19 were wounded, mostly men.

A spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General told a press briefing the organization’s office in Haiti, BINUH, was closely monitoring the events and that estimates ranged from 10 to 80 people killed. He called for a thorough investigation.

An audio message circulated on social media was attributed to Gran Grif leader Luckson Elan. In the message, Elan appeared to say the attack was retaliation for attacks on their base in Savien by a rival armed group.

The Artibonite department, a key agricultural area, has seen some of Haiti’s worst violence.

—Reuter

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