SUMMARY

The Forces of Micanor Altes were known for their extensive use of violence and intimidation against civilian populations in the Wharf Jérémie neighborhood of Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Their aim was to maintain dominance and suppress any form of resistance or dissent.

Between 6 and 11 December 2024, at least 207 civilians were killed in the Wharf Jeremie area. The immediate trigger for the violence was the illness of Micanor's newborn son in early December 2024, which he alleged was caused by voodoo curses placed on his son by members of the local community.

The most lethal episode occurred on the evening of 6 December, when approximately 127 individuals, mostly elderly residents aged over 60, were killed. They were forcibly removed from their homes and made to lie on the ground before being killed with firearms and blunt weapons. Bodies were then piled up and set on fire. There were several cases of beheadings reported, with their heads later thrown into the sea. Residents were ordered to witness the killings and to show no visible signs of grief under threat of execution. In addition to this, members of the Forces of Micanor Altes were forced to bring their own relatives before Micanor and carry out killings personally, with those who refused facing imprisonment or execution.

Violence continued over the following four days. On 7 December, 50 residents who were attending a voodoo ceremony, along with a voodoo priest and six members of his family, were abducted by gang members. They were executed the following day, and their bodies were either burned, mutilated, or thrown into the sea. On 10 December, five relatives of earlier victims were killed while they attempted to flee the neighborhood, and an additional 13 individuals were executed on accusations of having communicated with journalists. Finally, on 11 December, five women were killed after being found filming a video intended to document the massacre.

Forces of Micanor Altes first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2024, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in December of that year, when the group launched several attacks in the Wharf Jeremie neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.