Explosive drones have killed hundreds in Haiti, including civilians: report
Haiti’s government is using its security forces and contractors to carry out drone strikes on criminal gangs that are also endangering civilians
Explosive drone strikes by Haitian security forces targeting gangs have killed over 1,200 people, including 43 adult civilians and 17 children, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Tuesday, adding that operations have ramped up in recent months.
Since last March, Haitian security forces, with support from Vectus Global, have carried out anti-gang operations using quadcopter drones strapped with explosives, often in densely populated parts of the capital Port-au-Prince. Vectus Global is a private US-based military company led by Blackwater founder Erik Prince.
Haiti’s prime minister’s office, defence minister, national police, Vectus, and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The US charge d’affaires in Haiti told a Senate committee last month that the State Department had licensed Vectus to export its services to Haiti. A spokesperson for the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force in Haiti declined to comment.
HRW’s Americas director, Juanita Goebertus, told Reuters that the rights group had documented unlawful use of lethal force, saying Haiti’s partners should stop collaborating with its security forces until they implement safeguards to protect civilians.
“Haitian authorities should urgently rein in the security forces and private contractors working for them before more children die,” she said. Despite Kenyan, US and UN support, armed gangs have expanded well beyond the capital and security forces have yet to capture a major gang leader. The gangs have killed thousands, displaced over a million and crippled the economy.