SUMMARY
Haiti became the world’s first independent black republic in 1804 following a 12-year rebellion against France by African-descended slaves led by Toussaint Louverture; it was considered one of the most dramatic by-products of the French Revolution. Ever since, Haiti's history was characterized by violent struggles over political power, which have often led to civilian massacres. Rampant poverty and criminality in Haiti led to the creation of powerful armed gangs across the country, mainly in the capital. Such gangs, which took on the traits of political organizations, made use of one-sided violence to achieve their goals.
Since 1989, Haiti has experienced the intrastate, non-state and one-sided categories of organized violence, as defined by UCDP.
2025
Violence in Haiti continued to escalate in 2025, reaching unprecedented levels. The state-based conflict between Viv Ansanm and the Haitian government persisted, reflecting a continued upward trend in violence, although the recorded increase in fatalities partly reflects improvements in reporting disaggregation rather than a straightforward rise in violence. Viv Ansanm expanded its territorial presence to other departments, while confrontations with state forces and allied civilian self-defense brigades intensified across multiple areas.
Following the limited operational capacity of the Multinational Security Support mission, which failed to stem the deteriorating security situation, the UN Security Council transitioned the mission into the Gang Suppression Force in September 2025, a larger and more operationally robust international force with a strengthened mandate to conduct targeted counter-gang operations. Violence was no longer confined to the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, spreading significantly into the departments of L'Artibonite and Centre. While the majority of recorded violence consisted of the state-based conflict and one-sided violence against civilians, armed resistance brigades also engaged in combat against gang forces in several localities.
One-sided violence against civilians reached particularly severe levels in 2025. Viv Ansanm remained the actor responsible for the greatest number of civilian fatalities, with its presence extending across the departments of L'Artibonite, Centre, and Ouest. In L'Artibonite, Gran Grif was the most prominent perpetrator of massacres against the civilian population. However, its close ally, Kokorat San Ras, also carried out several attacks against civilians in the department. The armed resistance brigade known as La Coalition, which had originally emerged to counter gang expansion in the region, also carried out killings of civilians accused of collaborating with Gran Grif. However, a high number of civilian casualties resulted from the fighting between Viv Ansanm and the government forces, both from stray bullets and from extensive drone strikes conducted by Haitian security forces and private contractors in densely populated urban areas.
Organized violence in Haiti
Organized violence has been a constant in Haiti with several peaks in number of fatalities throughout the time-period. The highest numbers of fatalities were derived from state based conflicts over government. Starting in 2017, the peaks relate to attacks against civilians, usually perpetrated by the Government of Haiti as various Haitian administrations have frequently employed one-sided violence as a tactic to neutralize the political opposition. Only one instance of non-state violence is recorded in the whole period between Supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Supporters of Roger Lafontant in 1991.
The first peak in the period happened in April 1989, with the unsuccessful coup attempt on General Prosper Avril’s government by a military faction led by Himmler Rebu and Guy Philippe. Casualties amounted to nearly 50 people until the Government of Haiti was able to take control. Avril declared a state of siege in 1990, but violent anti-government protests, supported by the USA, forced him to step down and to flee into exile.
Less than two years later, another violent coup flared up into an intrastate conflict, leading to another peak in violence. In September 1991 a military faction led by Raoul Cédras managed to oust the government of popularly elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. However, Aristide regained the presidency in 1994 with the help of a US-led multinational force and again in 2000 via allegedly compromised elections.
By fall 2003, Aristide had lost significant popular support and in February 2004 he was removed from power by FLRN, a rebel front that subsumed some of his own paramilitary groups. This intrastate conflict led to a peak in fatalities that derived from the actions of the rebel group FLRN and the people’s organization OP Lavalas (Chimères), formed by supporters of the departed president and his party. OP Lavalas (Chimères) launched “Operation Baghdad” on 30 September 2004, the anniversary of the coup that overthrew Aristide in 1991 demanding the interim government to step down and Aristide to return to power.
The number of fatalities peaked in 2017 and 2018 as a result of two civilian massacres either perpetrated or mandated by the Government of Haiti. Both instances of one-sided violence by the Government of Haiti took place in under-privileged neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, namely Grand Ravine and La Saline. A prominent figure in both massacres was Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, who at the time served as officer of the Haitian National Police. He would later go on to form and lead two gang coalitions in 2020. The first was formed and dissolved in May of that year by Delmas 19 gang, Delmas 6 gang, Delmas 95 gang, Nan Belekou gang, Nan Boston gang, Nan Chabón gang, Nan Ti Bwa gang, Pilate base gang, Rue St. Martin gang, Simon Pele gang and Wharf de Jeremie gang. Although short-lived, this coalition carried out various one-sided attacks against civilians in several localities across Port-au-Prince. Moreover, it served as the predecessor for the G9 coalition, formed in June 2020 by nine of the then strongest gangs in Haiti.
The creation of powerful gang coalitions, such as G9 and GPep, caused the continuous rise in levels of violence in 2020 and 2021 through several clashes between them as well as civilian massacres, all in their constant attempts to expand the territories under their control. Later on, the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 and the political power vacuum that it sparked created the perfect environment for the further expansion of gang rule across the Haitian territory.
In 2022, gangs and gang coalitions were responsible for the rising levels of violence that led to peaks in fatalities. They pursued territorial expansion to increase their revenue from extortion and kidnapping, which are essential for their survival and growth. Various gang clashes and civilian massacres occurred across territories in the arrondissements of Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets.Two of the most violent groups, G9 and G-Pep, were particularly active. They frequently clashed with each other and other gangs and carried out numerous attacks against civilians. These violent activities were concentrated mainly in the arrondissement of Port-au-Prince, including the capital city and Cité Soleil.
Gang-related violence intensified sharply as rival coalitions and independent groups fought to expand territorial control in 2023. Violence was prevalent in both Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets. The two largest alliances, G9 and G-Pep, were especially active, not only clashing with each other and smaller rivals but also targeting civilians in a wave of brutal attacks. Other gangs, including Grand Ravine, Terre Noire, 5 Segon, and Canaan, contributed to widespread massacres, resulting in the highest levels of one-sided violence seen since 2020.
Haiti witnessed a dramatic escalation in violence in 2024 that included the continuation of non-state conflicts, violence against civilians and the emergence of a state-based conflict. At the beginning of 2024, intense clashes erupted between the G9 and the G-Pep, two of the most powerful gang alliances in Haiti, across Port-au-Prince, before the two coalitions merged into a new alliance called Viv Ansanm driving fatality levels even higher. The emergence of [Viv Ansanm led to direct armed conflict against the Haitian government, marking the country's first state-based conflict since 2005. The coalition launched offensives against key government strongholds, while the state attempted to regain control through military operations. Amid the escalating crisis, the Multinational Security Support mission, led by Kenya and backed by the United Nations, was deployed in an international effort to stabilize the country. The highest levels of violence, however, were brought on by multiple actors engaged in violence against civilians, driven by territorial disputes and competition over extortion revenues. The most prominent actors performing massacres were Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, although the Haitian government also carried out indiscriminate acts of violence against the civilian population at levels higher than seen in several years.
Pre 1989 conflicts
Independence brought about violence and color division between black people and the ruling mixed-race people, producing an unstable and chaotic government. In 1915 the U.S. invaded Haiti to restore order, fearing European (especially German) economic and political rivalry in its Caribbean sphere of influence. The 19-year U.S. military rule introduced formal racial segregation policies. In 1946, Haitian President Elie Lescot was overthrown and the first trade union and left wing parties were founded. Four years later, in 1950, the army forced President Estimé to resign.
In 1957 Dr. Francois Duvalier (“Papa Doc”), a black nationalist intellectual, was elected president. His private militia, the "Tonton Macoutes", were used to crush any opposition and thousands of people fled the country. The violence and killings were particularly directed towards people of mixed race. President Duvalier declared himself President-for-life in 1964 and then bequeathed power to his son Jean-Claude Duvalier (“Baby-Doc”) as President-for-life. Anti-government demonstrations broke out in 1984 and the U.S. threatened to reduce aid. Following growing political opposition activity, President Duvalier declared a state of siege in January 1986 and several hundred people were killed. The U.S. Government feared an escalation of the political violence, and had Duvalier flown into exile in France on 7 February, as the rule was passed to a civilian-military junta with the approval of the U.S. and the leading Duvalierists.
