SUMMARY
Taliban was a gang that gang operated primarily in the Canaan area, a sprawling informal settlement on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This area had become a significant hub for gang activity due to its relative isolation and lack of effective law enforcement. Other areas of influence for Taliban were Onaville, Jerusalem, Corail, Bon Repos, Rosemberg and Lilavois.
The gang's membership was estimated to be around 200 active members. Members were recruited heavily from the local population from impoverished backgrounds, such as vulnerable youth and those displaced by economic hardships.
The gang, also known as the Canaan gang, was well-armed with a variety of weapons, which were utilized for a range of criminal activities, including kidnapping, home burglary, hijacking of vehicles and goods, land appropriation, and murder.
Taliban was led by Jeff Larose, alias Jeff, known for his strategic use of violence and intimidation to maintain order and loyalty among members, as well as compliance from civilian residents.
The gang became an important ally of the G-Pep coalition under Jeff’s leadership as a way to strengthen its position and expand its influence through sharing resources, and collaborating on various criminal enterprises. Taliban also has a very strong alliance with another G-Pep ally, 5 Segond.
The gang Taliban has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organized violence.
5 Segond was a gang that operated primarily in the Bicentennaire and Martissant areas of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The gang recruited from local communities and often targeted vulnerable youth who lacked economic opportunities. They consisted of around 300 members, predominantly young people from disadvantaged areas such as slums of the metropolitan area and poor neighborhoods or large provincial towns. Similarly to recruits from Grand Ravine, the members of 5 Segond had previously been members of vigilance brigades and popular organizations close to Fanmi Lavalas. Young people and street children were regularly offered food and money in exchange for joining the gang, and some even received motorcycles and cell phones.
The gang was well-equipped, possessing heavy weaponry along with drones and surveillance cameras to control the Village de Dieu area and identify potential victims. This equipment allowed 5 Segond to carry out a range of criminal activities including murders, drug trafficking, hijacking of trucks and goods, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
Under the leadership of Johnson André, alias Izo, 5 Segond became a prominent ally of the G-Pep coalition. They aided the G-Pep and other allies in violent attacks against rival gangs, primarily from G9, as well as against civilians.
On February 29, 2024, G9 joined its longtime rival G-Pep, in an alliance called Viv Ansanm (Living Together, Vivre Ensemble) and began engaging in armed conflict against the Haitian government. 5 Segond, a close ally to G-Pep, also joined the Viv Ansanm coalition.
The gang 5 Segond has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organized violence.
