In a country where horrifying events have occurred, hundreds of people have been killed under the accusation of witchcraft.

The incident that occurred in the Warf Jeremie slum neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, which has become the center of civil unrest and gang violence, involved the gang leader known as Micanord 'Wa Mikano' Altes, who executed 134 men and 73 women, claiming that he had performed voodoo magic on his son and made them sick.

THE MAJORITY OF VICTIMS ACCUSED OF PERFORMING VOODOO MAGIC ARE ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have determined that the majority of the victims accused of 'performing voodoo magic' are elderly individuals. In the report prepared by OHCHR, the details of the executions are expressed as follows:

"Other victims were family members of elderly individuals trying to escape the area or individuals suspected of leaking information about these crimes to the local media."

BURNED AND DISMEMBERED ALL THE CORPSES

The victims were first tracked in their homes and places of worship, then taken to the gang's stronghold where they were shot or killed with machetes. After the murders, the gang attempted to eliminate all evidence by burning or dismembering the bodies and then throwing them into the sea."

The UN report emphasized that information had been received from "reliable sources" indicating that some members of the Haitian National Police (HNP) were also involved in the incidents. "Reliable sources also indicate that specialized units of the Haitian National Police (HNP) were involved. These violations and abuses include murders, gang rapes, as well as sexual violence, kidnapping, and the recruitment and trafficking of children. The destruction of public buildings and private property has also been documented," it stated.

17,248 PEOPLE EITHER KILLED OR INJURED IN HAITI

The United Nations reported that as of January 2024, more than 5,358 people have been killed and 2,155 people injured in the country. Since the increase in civil unrest and gang violence in 2022, 17,248 people have either been killed or injured in Haiti.

After prolonged negotiations in Haiti, a Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, consisting mostly of police and soldiers from Kenya, is operating to ensure peace and security in the country, as approved by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on October 2, 2023.