The United States Government on Wednesday sanctioned a notorious Haiti gang leader— Prophane Victor — over his role in training, supporting, and arming gangs accused of committing serious human rights abuses in Haiti.
The gang leader, a former MP, was placed on the radar alongside his fellow ring leader Luckson Elan, the current leader of the Gran Grif gang.
In a notice sent out by the US Department of Treasury yesterday, Elan was sanctioned for his involvement in serious human rights abuses related to gang activity in Haiti’s Artibonite District, located in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.
"The recent final report of the United Nations Group of Experts highlights that Victor and Elan are significantly responsible for the crisis in Haiti," read part of a statement by the US Embassy in Haiti.
"Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning a former member of Haiti's parliament, Prophane Victor, for his role in forming, supporting, and arming gangs and their members that have committed serious human rights abuse in Haiti," added another statement from the Department of Treasury.
According to the US Embassy, the level of violence and the degree of cruelty by the two gang leaders violated human rights and were unprecedented.
Propane and Elan were also accused of carrying out regular and indiscriminate attacks on the population and obstructing humanitarian aid.
The latest move by President Joe Biden’s administration came hardly a day after the US President called for swift resolution in ending the violence currently witnessed in Haiti.
During the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Biden commended the Kenyan police for their relentless effort to restore peace in the Caribbean nation.
During the same meeting, President William Ruto called on the United Nations Security Council to take immediate measures to restore peace in Haiti.
While insisting on the matter, Ruto urged the Security Council to consider extending the Multinational Security Support Mission’s mandate. The mission, authorised on October 2 last year, was slated to expire after 12 months.
The Head of State also told the Security Council to adopt innovative approaches to resource the peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean nation.
He further urged the international community to intensify its support of the mission, which he said had begun to yield significant positive outcomes.
