For many years, human rights advocates and civil society groups in Haiti have been demanding an end to the flow of illicit firearms to criminal gangs, especially from the United States, as armed groups continue to cause unrest and violence in the country.
As the capital of Port-au-Prince is currently experiencing a surge in deadly gang attacks, the call to stop the illicit firearms trade is once again being emphasized.
According to Rosy Auguste Ducena, a lawyer and programme director at the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH), Haiti does not have its own weapons or ammunition factory, so the firearms and ammunition causing havoc in the country are being imported, mainly from the United States.
The unchecked influx of handguns, semi-automatic, and military-style firearms into Haiti is facilitated by weak state institutions, corruption, and challenges in monitoring the country’s extensive coastline.
Ducena urges the United States to take greater responsibility in controlling the export of firearms to Haiti, as it would significantly contribute to reducing violence and instability in the country.