Haiti gangs were forced to flee on Tuesday, August 19, following an ambush by the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission police, jointly with the Haitian officers.
This is after the team launched an anti-gang operation in the Dofunor area, located over 198 kilometres north of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, where rice farmers endured several days of hardship at the hands of the gangs.
Following a tip-off, the MSS and Haitian police ambushed and defeated the gangs, restoring security in the area, consequently giving farmers the long-awaited opportunity to access their rice stores.
Under the protection of MSS and Haitian patrol teams, farmers turned out in large numbers to collect their rice from community storage facilities.
Security teams also maintained constant vigilance across Petit Rivière township and along key routes toward Palmiste, Laverdure, Canal, and the cemetery, ensuring locals could move safely.
However, in some of the areas, the gang members dug huge trenches in an attempt to stop the police officers from launching their attacks. The gangs also destroyed the bridge at Palmiste.
Speaking moments after the crackdown, MSS Commander Godfrey Otunge assured the residents that the police were determined to reopen the critical route.
According to Otunge, heavy equipment is already being deployed to clear obstacles and restore free movement so that residents can once again reach their farms and homes.
In his speech, the MSS Commander also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Petite Rivière and the wider Artibonite region for their trust, resilience, and cooperation with the police.
He went ahead to affirm the mission’s commitment to defeating the gangs remains steadfast, further urging the residents to intensify their support for the mission.
"Very soon we will be talking about a new Haiti, and the issues we are talking about are very clear, that the MSS mission is possible. MSS is the only hope for the Haitian people," Otunge said.
"We are focused on the quiet and peaceful regions where we now plan to beef up with specialised units so that as we deal with them here, if they try to expand their territories, the peaceful regions will now have the capacity to deal with them," he added.
