Brokers and patrons (Rapport Global Initiative)
Gangs continued to expand their influence in Haiti, both through territorial control and by consolidating their role as political brokers. This latter dimension remains largely absent from national and international crisis response strategies.
By failing to account for the political economy of violence, particularly the importance of addressing politico-criminal relationships, current policies risk perpetuating rather than loosening the links between armed groups and the political system, especially if the 2026 elections proceed without a more comprehensive response adapted to the complexity of the crisis.
Haïti : RSF alerte sur le sort des journalistes Osnel Espérance et Junior Célestin enlevés à Port-au-Prince
Le travail journalistique en Haïti s’effectue aujourd’hui dans un climat de menace extrême. Dans un pays où des gangs armés contrôlent une grande partie de la capitale, l’enlèvement de journalistes en pleine mission et les attaques contre des figures emblématiques de la presse aggravent le silence médiatique et la peur. Il incombe également à la communauté internationale de se mobiliser pour la protection des journalistes et des médias.
OHCHR/BINUH Children trafficked by gangs: Rethinking the responses (Press Release & Video & Report)
A UN report published on Friday details the brutal and widespread trafficking of children by Haitian gangs, warning their actions threaten not only the wellbeing of today’s children but also of future generations.
The report, issued jointly by the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), states that most of the 26 gangs currently operating in Haiti are involved in child trafficking.
Child recruitment in Haiti surges threefold in just one year
The number of children in Haiti recruited and used by armed groups has skyrocketed by an estimated 200 per cent in 2025 reflecting a growing reliance on the exploitation of children, amid ongoing violence by armed groups, UNICEF said today, commemorating Red Hand Day.
Haïti : l’OIF appelle à un consensus national en faveur de la stabilité et de la tenue d’élections
Malgré un regain de la dynamique de dialogue inter-haïtien ces dernières semaines, l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) constate avec préoccupation que la fragmentation et les divisions persistantes de la classe politique nationale n’ont pas permis, à ce stade, de faire émerger un consensus suffisamment large et inclusif. Un tel consensus demeure pourtant indispensable pour favoriser la stabilité institutionnelle du pays et améliorer les conditions de vie des populations, déjà gravement affectées par la violence des gangs.