Almost 200 Killed in Haiti Due to Harmful Voodoo Spell
Extreme violence erupted following accusations from a local crime lord, who blamed Voodoo practitioners for his son's death. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
At least 184 people, mainly elderly men and women, were killed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, over the weekend, according to estimates from the UN.
The massacre is attributed to Monel Felix, known as Mikano, a local gang leader operating in the Wharf Jeremie port area. The killings predominantly occurred in Cite Soleil, a densely populated and impoverished district of the city.
“This past weekend, at least 184 people were killed in violence orchestrated by the leader of a powerful gang in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince,” stated UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
The violence reportedly stemmed from a conflict between Mikano and local Voodoo practitioners, a widely practiced syncretic religion in Haiti often linked to witchcraft. Following the death of his son, Mikano visited a Voodoo priest, and after an unclear interaction, he became furious and instigated the killings.
“He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son,” said a statement from the Committee for Peace and Development, a local civil organization.
According to the group, "The gang’s soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes to take them to the chief’s stronghold to be executed."
Local media reports indicate that the victims were tortured and executed, with their mutilated bodies later set ablaze in the streets. The UN has condemned the massacre, noting that this most recent outbreak of violence has brought the total number of victims of gang violence in Haiti to 5,000 this year.
Haiti has faced decades of political turmoil and violence, which escalated dramatically in 2021 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Since then, the nation has fallen under the control of a coalition of criminal gangs until a transitional council was formed earlier this year. This council's goal is to establish a new president, prime minister, and cabinet in hopes of restoring order and effective governance.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
The massacre is attributed to Monel Felix, known as Mikano, a local gang leader operating in the Wharf Jeremie port area. The killings predominantly occurred in Cite Soleil, a densely populated and impoverished district of the city.
“This past weekend, at least 184 people were killed in violence orchestrated by the leader of a powerful gang in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince,” stated UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
The violence reportedly stemmed from a conflict between Mikano and local Voodoo practitioners, a widely practiced syncretic religion in Haiti often linked to witchcraft. Following the death of his son, Mikano visited a Voodoo priest, and after an unclear interaction, he became furious and instigated the killings.
“He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son,” said a statement from the Committee for Peace and Development, a local civil organization.
According to the group, "The gang’s soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes to take them to the chief’s stronghold to be executed."
Local media reports indicate that the victims were tortured and executed, with their mutilated bodies later set ablaze in the streets. The UN has condemned the massacre, noting that this most recent outbreak of violence has brought the total number of victims of gang violence in Haiti to 5,000 this year.
Haiti has faced decades of political turmoil and violence, which escalated dramatically in 2021 following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Since then, the nation has fallen under the control of a coalition of criminal gangs until a transitional council was formed earlier this year. This council's goal is to establish a new president, prime minister, and cabinet in hopes of restoring order and effective governance.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
