Authorities in Haiti, including Kenyan police, have resorted to unorthodox and potentially dangerous methods in a bid to curb gang violence and reclaim control of Port-au-Prince.
Prime Minister of Haiti, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, has launched a controversial drone campaign which will target violent gangs which have seized large portions of the capital.
The initiative began in March 2025 and entails the use of drones laden with explosives aimed at gang-controlled areas in a move which has been touted as extremely desperate by some experts.
Operations on the weaponised drones are done by the Haitian National Police (PNH) through their Tactical Drone Unit, established by the Haitian Prime Minister.
As recently as May 4, the PNH conducted a drone raid in Grand-Ravine targeting a gang known as Gran-Grif. The raid reportedly led to the perishing of 17 gang members.
Expectedly, these drone strikes have generated heavy power, leading to over 300 people succumbing. Sadly, though, there are hardly any gang leaders among the casualties, sparking outrage from human rights groups and civilians over the use of explosive-laden drones.
Critics have argued that the drone tactic lacks precision and accountability, leading to a further exacerbation of an already dire humanitarian crisis.
“They have no transparency, and we haven’t seen any accountability,” Nathalye Cotrino, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, told the Wall Street Journal.
As far as civilians on the ground are concerned, opinions on the explosive-laden drones are divided. On one hand, some feel like the technology will instil fear among the gang members.
Others feel it will only lead to more bloodshed since the explosions are not limited to gang members.
Another major concern with drone technology is that gangs are also adopting it, which ultimately negates the advantage security forces initially had over them.
Despite the controversy surrounding the use of drones, the Haitian government is not planning to stop anytime soon. According to the Wall Street Journal, talks are ongoing between the Haitian government and private U.S. security contractors for further security enhancements since the U.S. government has so far only provided surveillance drones.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed the deployment of officers from the Organisation of American States (OAS) to aid in battling gangs.
