SUMMARY

Gangs in Haiti were known for perpetrating violence against civilians in territories under the rule of a rival gang, but also against civilians that lived in the territories they themselves control. This type of violence, in the form of executions and sexual violence, for example, were intended to intimidate the population into submission.

Throughout the year 2023, the gang Grand Ravine carried out sporadic armed attacks against the civilian population in Carrefour-Feuilles. Heavily armed gang members led by Ti Lapli, Grand Ravine’s leader, attacked several neighborhoods in Carrefour-Feuilles including Décayette, Savane Pistache, Ravin Zonyon, Saye, and La Montagne. The indiscriminate attacks included the use of heavy gunfire and fires, which destroyed several houses. Often, victims perished trapped in their homes, which gang members had set ablaze. At other times, after being shot, victim’s bodies were burned in the streets.

Grand Ravine first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2023, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in August that year when over the span of nine days, Grand Ravine members attacked the population, resulting in over 50 civilian deaths.