
Since midday on Thursday, September 18, heavily armed gunmen from Gros-Morne have attacked the commune of Bassin-Bleu, in Haiti’s Northwest department. The local police station was set on fire, while officers—threatened—were forced to abandon the premises.
Deprived of protection, the population has been left to fend for itself in the face of the attackers’ violence. Amid the panic, a citizen identified as Jean Rodlet Jean Baptiste issued an urgent appeal to the authorities for immediate intervention.
“We are requesting reinforcements to avoid the worst,” said this resident, who described widespread fear. For now, no precise assessment of material damage has been provided by local authorities.
The assailants are believed to be members of the “Kokorat San Ras” armed group, which has already spread terror in several communes. In Bassin-Bleu, this attack once again illustrates the inability of law enforcement to contain the expansion of these criminal networks.
