Violent clashes erupt in Haiti's capital over a football match ruling

On September 13, 2024, news from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A priest and a newspaper in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Haiti's capital say a new round of violent clashes between rival gangs in the area was sparked by gunfire triggered by a controversial referee's ruling in a football match.

During a championship game in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, a penalty kick sparked a gun battle at the playing field, resulting in the death of a second-in-command of one gang and the injury of the leader of another gang. Priest Enoch Joseph said many people were killed but the exact death toll is unknown. On Friday, two days after the game, gunfire continued in the community and people were trapped in their homes.

According to the newspaper Le Nouvelliste, among those killed was a senior member of the Simon Pelé gang, the leader of the Bel-Air gang was shot in the foot, and the leader of the South Boston gang escaped. These three gangs are members of Haiti's most powerful gang alliance, the "G9 Family and Allies." This violent conflict has broken the fragile truce between the three gangs.

This violent incident poses a new challenge to the operation led by Kenya aimed at quelling gang violence in Port-au-Prince. Joseph accused the government of abandoning Cité Soleil and not providing services, and also accused the Haitian National Police of shooting at young people. A police spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. It is not clear whether members of the United Nations-backed operation will quell the violence in Cité Soleil. Recent operations have mainly focused on downtown Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. According to United Nations data, from January to May, more than 3,200 people were killed across Haiti. The ongoing violence has also left more than 500,000 people homeless.