CRSV: Haiti (2020- )
This case note documents the occurrence of sexual violence in violent conflict. It contains explicit mentions of different forms of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Background of the Conflict
Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, has been the site of an ongoing gang war between two major criminal groups and their allies – namely the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies (FRG9) and the G-PEP, since 2020 (Da Rin, 2022). Even as the gang wars escalated, an armed vigilante movement called bwa kale, emerged in order to fight the gangs (Chéry, 2022). In response, the Government of Haiti and the Haitian security forces have tried to maintain their control over Port-au-Prince (Dyer, 2023). On October 2, 2023, UN Security Council Resolution 2699 was adopted, authorizing the deployment of a Kenya-led multinational security support mission to Haiti (Robles and Fassihi, 2023). By March 2024, however, gang violence spread throughout the capital city, as they collectively pursued the resignation of Prime Minister and Acting President Ariel Henry. This was followed by the gangs storming two prisons and releasing thousands of prisoners, and attacks on various government institutions. The Haitian government then declared a state of emergency (Rivers, 2024). On March 11, Ariel Henry agreed to resign upon the formation of the transitional government in Haiti (Coto and Sanon, 2024).
Prevalence of Sexual Violence
Reports showed that rape was being used by a variety of gangs. As abortion is illegal, women are forced to carry any resulting pregnancy to term (Merancourt and Coletta, 2024). According to the OHCHR (2022), children as young as 10 and elderly women were also subjected to sexual violence, including collective rapes for hours in the presence of their parents or children. Sexual violence has been used against men, women, and non-binary people of all ages (OHCHR, 2022). Oftentimes, sexual violence occurs in the context of kidnappings, where women and girls are repeatedly subjected to rape by one or multiple captors, and videos have been sent to their families with the demand for ransom (OHCHR, 2022).
Basis of the Use of Sexual Violence
Gangs have been known to use sexual violence to instil fear and intimidate women from their rival gangs, and by extension, their communities. Sexual violence has also been used in furtherance of gangs’ goals of expanding their areas of influence. Further, rape and collective rapes have been carried out to punish, subjugate, inflict pain, and humiliate local populations (OHCHR, 2022).
References
Chéry, Ons (18 November 2022). "Bwa kale: Protests still draw people fed up in Haiti, despite risks". https://haitiantimes.com/2022/11/18/bwa-kale-protests-still-draw-people-fed-up-in-haiti-despite-risks/
Coto, Dánica and Sanon, Evens (12 March 2024). "Ariel Henry: Haiti's PM says he will resign." https://apnews.com/article/haiti-henry-resignation-prime-minister-violence-28acaecc1d80d993c99fe43a5e1e1f7f
Da Rin, Diego (27 July 2022). "New Gang Battle Lines Scar Haiti as Political Deadlock Persists". Crisis Group. https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/haiti/new-gang-battle-lines-scar-haiti-political-deadlock-persists
Dyer, Evan (8 May 2023). "In Haiti, a grassroots vigilante movement is fighting back against gang warfare." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/haiti-bwa-kale-port-au-prince-gang-warfare-1.6833758
Merancourt, Widlore and Coletta, Amanda (29 January 2024). "'Collective rapes' surge as weapon in Haiti's gang war." https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/29/haiti-gang-violence-rape/
OHCHR (2022). Haiti: Gangs use sexual violence to instill fear – UN report. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/10/haiti-gangs-use-sexual-violence-instill-fear-un-report
Rivers, Matt (2024). "It's not just gang violence surging in Haiti. It's a rebellion: ANALYSIS." https://abcnews.go.com/International/gang-violence-surging-haiti-rebellion-analysis/story?id=107819964
Robles, Frances and Fassihi, Farnaz (2 October 2023). "U.N. Approves Kenya-Led Security Mission to Help Haiti Stamp Out Gangs" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/world/americas/un-kenya-mission-haiti.html
