Port-au-Prince on the Brink: Haiti’s Capital Faces Imminent Gang Takeover
Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, is on the verge of collapse as heavily armed gangs escalate their control over the city. The ongoing insurrection, led by the criminal coalition Viv Ansanm, has left over a million people displaced, with key government institutions and once-secure neighborhoods falling to violent groups.
A City Under Siege
For Haitian police officers, the battle is relentless. By day, they patrol the streets armed with assault rifles, and by night, they return to nearly abandoned homes, uncertain if their city will still stand by morning. Reports from residents describe a city gripped by fear, where gunfire echoes nonstop, and every exit is controlled by gangs.
Frantz Duval, editor of Le Nouvelliste, likens the crisis to the fall of Kabul or Saigon, warning that Port-au-Prince may soon meet the same fate. The UN estimates that 60,000 people fled their homes in the past month alone, while the total number of displaced persons has surpassed one million since the uprising began in February 2024.
Government Paralysis and a Failing Security Effort
The Haitian government, already struggling with political instability, has lost control of nearly 70% of the capital. Mayor Youri Chevry admitted that only a fraction of the city remains under official governance, with many districts now "in a state of war."
In an attempt to reclaim control, a UN-backed multinational security force, primarily led by Kenya, deployed last year. However, only about 1,000 of the planned 2,500 officers have arrived, and they remain vastly outgunned. The recent killing of a Kenyan officer underscored the dangers of the mission, prompting urgent calls for reinforcements, military-grade equipment, and an arms embargo to curb weapons smuggling from the U.S.
A Desperate Population, a Growing Resistance
As despair mounts, some Haitians refuse to surrender. Armed self-defense groups have formed across the city, erecting barricades and vowing to fight for their homes. “We are ready to die standing, without surrendering,” declared a protester.
Meanwhile, police forces have resorted to unorthodox warfare tactics, including suicide drone strikes targeting gang leaders in their fortified strongholds. These high-risk operations signal the extreme lengths to which security forces are willing to go in an increasingly asymmetric war.
An Uncertain Future
Haiti’s crisis is rooted in decades of corruption, foreign interference, and devastating natural disasters. Now, with key districts like Solino and Nazon falling to gangs, even the wealthy neighborhoods of Pétionville—the last remaining safe zones—are at risk.
“The city is on the edge of total collapse,” warned UN human rights expert William O’Neill. With government efforts faltering and the international response proving insufficient, the fate of Port-au-Prince hangs in the balance.
As one local put it: "It’s either the gangs take us, or we take them. It’s a coin toss."