May 2020 attacks and the
PHTK party (banner celebrating Moise's inauguration pictured). In May 2020 a coalition of 11 gangs (Delmas 19, Delmas 6, Delmas 95, Nan Barozi, Nan Belekou, Nan Boston, Nan Chabón, Nan Ti Bwa, Pilate Base, Simon Pele and Wharf de Jeremie) attacked several neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince as a way to secure and expand territorial control. The same month, they attacked civilians in the neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, killing 34 people. Altès, the leader of an anti-government gang, switched alliances to the government and gangs allied with Chérizier to assassinate another anti-government leader, Ernso Nicholas. Following the assassination, many pro-government gangs seized control of anti-government gang territory. After the assassination, Chérizier, with assistance from other gangs, organized a meeting in Delmas 6 (a neighborhood that is the primary base of Chérizier's group) to plan an assault in the area of
Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, perceived as anti-government, including Pont Rouge, Chancerelles and Nan Tokyo. Chérizier's coalition went through with the attack beginning on 23 May. Chérizier's group is alleged to have attacked civilians in Nan Tokyo including the
killing of two American missionaries, while Altès and another leader, Alectis, besieged Pont Rouge. The violence, not far from the General Inspectorate of the National Police of Haiti, lasted from the afternoon to the following day. Many fled the areas due to the violence. On 25 May a displaced persons camp housing anti-government gangs was attacked by members of the coalition, primarily the Krache Dife de Delmas 6 gang, killing two people, including a minor; 24 houses were also burnt in the raid. On 26 May, Haitian armored police vehicles were positioned at the entrance to Nan Brooklyn. Tear gas was subsequently fired in the area, followed by gunfire targeting civilians. Nan Brooklyn was attacked again by gangs that day and the day after, killing four people, injuring 20 and setting fire to many homes. Chérizier was allegedly transported to the area in a Haitian police armored vehicle, according to witnesses in the area. In the aftermath of the attack, many new gang leaders were installed in the territories seized, which included Chancerelles, Nan Tokyo, Nan Barozi and Delmas 2 and 4. Nan Brooklyn would remain besieged until July, as the siege culminated in a massacre that resulted in the death of 145. By the end of the month, the coalition had been dissolved. All the member gangs had previous links to the ruling PHTK party of President
Jovenel Moïse. Since the coalition was founded, it has been responsible for multiple massacres against civilians and clashes with other rival gangs. From 2020 to 2021, the G9 was responsible for a dozen massacres in which at least 200 people were killed. In response to the growing dominance of G9, a rival gang alliance, called "G-Pep", was founded in July 2020. It consisted of mainly those gangs in Port-au-Prince's Cité Soleil who were strongly opposed to joining G9. In the following months, both gang alliances began to expand beyond their initial areas of operation. as the gangs exploited the government's weakness. After the death of his suspected ally Moïse, Chérizier increasingly voiced political ambitions and began to openly oppose the Haitian government of Henry. On 17 October G9 forced Henry to flee an official commemoration event, then began a month-long blockade of the country's largest oil terminal. Though G9 initially declared that it would lift the blockade only if the government resigned, Henry refused to step down; instead, both sides eventually agreed to a secret deal, and G9 retreated from the oil terminal. In May 2022, 400 Mawozo aligned with G-Pep, greatly improving the G-Pep's position in the gang war and causing a further escalation of violence. The battle caused the nearby Varreux field terminal, the country's largest fuel depot, to pause operations and led to a drastic shortage in fuel as two fuel tankers were unable to be unloaded.
Doctors Without Borders has stated that the organization has been unable to access the slum because of the violence. In September, amid the increase of the price of the fuel for the
socioeconomic crisis, the G9 began a blockade of the Varreux fuel terminal. On 6 November, after two weeks of negotiations with the Haitian government and after an armed offensive launched by the Haitian National Police, the G9 gang coalition relinquished control of the Varreux fuel terminal. From late 2022, an anti-gang
bwa kale vigilante movement emerged to attack and kill any gang members. The vigilantes often burned captured gang members alive. By March 2023, Haitian officials speculated that up to 90% of the capital was controlled by gangs. In
Pétion-Ville, checkpoints were established by residents to conduct identity checks in order to identify gang members. Machetes were distributed in the capital in an effort to curb the gang violence. In response to the growth of the bwa kale movement, President Ariel Henry asked that the initiators of the movement "calm down" and hand over suspected bandits and gang members to the police. By mid-2023, the gang war between G9 and G-Pep continued unabated, Chérizier declared that G9 would resist if an international intervention force committed "human rights abuses" and claimed that it would "be a fight of the Haitian people to save the dignity of our country." The gangs gained control over the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation's offices in the area, which are used to supply water to other areas in Port-au-Prince. It was believed that the occupation endangered the safety of the water supply. On 8 December, the
United States Treasury Department announced sanctions placed on four Haitian gang leaders, Johnson André ("Izo"), Renel Destina ("Ti Lapli"),
Vitel'Homme Innocent, and Wilson Joseph ("Lanmò San Jou"), for human rights violations. On 12 December, the Haitian National Police launched an operation from
Carrefour into Mariani, with an assault involving excavators resulting in the razing of many houses around the market alleged to have been used by gang members. Several civilians in the area were injured in the clashes. In a 20 December press conference, the Haitian national police announced its intention to conduct greater police operations in Port-au-Prince to protect civilians, regulate traffic and stem gang violence during the end-of-year period. Intensified police presences would be instated throughout the city. On 26 December, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince went on lockdown after gunfire was heard in the area. In a 2023 UN report by Robert Muggah estimates there could be as many as half a million weapons in the country. When interviewed in 2024, he said that over 80 percent of those traced by the
ATF from 2020 and 2022 arrived from the U.S. A UN report issued on 15 January 2024 indicates that in the preceding year there had been 2,490 kidnappings and 4,789 reported homicides.
Ousting of Ariel Henry in 2024 On 29 February 2024, a wave of violence broke out while the acting prime minister traveled to Kenya and signed an agreement designed to circumvent the Kenyan High Court's earlier ruling declaring the
UN-backed operation to assist Haitian government as unconstitutional under Kenyan law. Gunfire was directed at
Toussaint Louverture International Airport and many businesses in the area, with two police stations seized, forcing businesses to close and
Sunrise Airways to cease operations. On 29 February,
the Bahamas,
Bangladesh,
Barbados,
Benin and
Chad pledged troops to support the security situation in Haiti by pledging troops to the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, with the largest being Benin's commitment of 1,500 soldiers, in addition to the agreement with Kenya providing 1,000 police officers.
Belize and
Antigua and Barbuda have also pledged people to assist with the mission. U.S. officials said that American troops will not be sent. Chérizier released a video stating that he intended to prevent Henry from returning to Haiti with the operation. On 1 March, when asked if it was safe for him to return to Haiti, Henry shrugged. Gunfire at the airport on 1 March caused damage to some aircraft. On 2 and 3 March, armed
gangs stormed the two largest prisons, one in
Croix des Bouquets, the other in Port-au-Prince, resulting in more than 4,700 inmates escaping. With a force of only 9,000 at work, police were undermanned and outgunned by the gangs. At least 12 people were killed in the conflict, the government noted "increasingly violent criminal acts" throughout Port-au-Prince, including vandalism, kidnapping and murder. According to the United Nations, gangs controlled around 80% of Port-au-Prince. fueling speculation that an alliance between rival gangs was forming to overthrow the Haitian government. In particular, Johnson André, the leader of the 5 Seconds gang, appeared to be linked to the attacks. Flights were grounded as the airport was shut down, and the
Stade Sylvio Cator Later that day, Henry landed at
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico in an attempt to return to Haiti to control the violence. On 6 March, a police station in Bas-Peu-de-Chose was attacked and burned down. The privately owned Caribbean Port Services terminal at the
Port international de Port-au-Prince, notable for its key role in providing food and supplies, was also attacked and looted, resulting in port operations being suspended indefinitely. On 8 March, gangs attacked the National Palace and two police stations and burned down the
interior ministry. The security perimeter around Toussaint Louverture International Airport was breached by gangs, while gunfire was heard throughout Port-au-Prince. On 9 March gangs attacked and occupied the headquarters of the Institute of Social Welfare in Port-au-Prince, while the government of the Dominican Republic announced plans to evacuate its officials and citizens from Port-au-Prince. A large counteroffensive against the gangs was launched by the Haitian police force in the later hours of the night after three more police stations were attacked and burned down, with reports coming in that multiple Haitian police cars were stolen and are now patrolling the area. On 10 March the United States evacuated its nonessential staff from its embassy in Port-au-Prince via helicopter, while adding additional Marine Corps troops to the embassy to defend it. The
European Union also evacuated all diplomatic staff, and the German embassy was evacuated by elements of the Dominican Republic Air Force. The Prime Minister of Jamaica announced on 11 March that representatives from eight countries, including France, Canada, and the United States, would meet in
Kingston, Jamaica, to discuss the ongoing violence. On 11 March
CARICOM launched an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Haiti.
Kithure Kindiki of Kenya announced that its police officers were ready to deploy; however, with no deployment date, there was a lot of international pressure from the United States and multiple meetings between the United States and Kenya over the deployment, with one being held on 11 March between Kenyan President
William Ruto and
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Toussaint Louverture International Airport was closed. Secretary Blinken later announced that the United States would offer another $100million to the Kenyan mission in Haiti. On 12 March, Ariel Henry declared that he would resign amid massive pressure from the international community.
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a
U.S. congresswoman of Haitian descent, released a press statement saying that the gang takeover of Haiti posed a security threat to the United States and warned of violence spilling over to the United States. She also told reporters that she would be holding a meeting with Haitian leaders from
South Florida to discuss the country's ongoing conflict.
U.S. Department of Defense officials stated later that they are "alerted" about a potential maritime "mass migration" from Haiti. Use of the
United States Navy was considered to stop the flow of migration. On 13 March Ruto announced that the mission to Haiti, while paused, would still move forward. The United States announced a plan to contribute $40million for the Multinational Mission in Haiti. The same day a U.S.
Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team was sent to protect the U.S. embassy. A
YouTube personality
YourFellowArab (Addison Pierre Maalouf) specialized in touring dangerous places was
allegedly kidnapped on his way to interview Chérizier. Members of 400 Mawozo demanded a ransom of $600,000 for his release. The U.S. State Department confirmed that a U.S. citizen had been kidnapped. On 19 March, CARICOM and United Nations officials appointed seven seats out of eight of the presidential council. The formation of the full council was delayed because of 21 December Agreement group backing the acting prime minister. On 21 March one of the gang leaders, known as Makandal, was killed by the
bwa kale in Pétion-Ville. A day later,
Ernst Julme, the leader of Delmas 95, was killed by police in the same area. Julme's death was described as a significant setback for Cherizier in his attempts to take over Port-au-Prince. On 25 April, Henry resigned and was replaced by the
Transitional Presidential Council. Later, on 28 May, the transitional council chose Garry Conille as the acting prime minister. In May, in the clashes between gangs and security forces three armored vehicles of the police were destroyed and set on fire. On 18 June the
International Organization for Migration reported that more than 580,000 people have been displaced by the increased violence in Haiti since March 2024. The report also warned that since most of the people displaced have been from communities already struggling with poor social conditions, there may be more tension and violence in the coming days.
Multinational intervention delivered from Canada to Haiti for the Haitian Army to fight against the gangs. On 26 June 2024, Kenya's first contingent of 400 police officers landed in Port-au-Prince after months of delay. This coalition is led by Chérizier, and Viv Ansanm controls around 80% of metropolitan Port-au-Prince, as well as many surrounding towns. On 22October SOS Journalists and the Association of Haitian Journalists (AJH) released statements calling upon authorities to take measures to protect journalists threatened by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition led by Chérizier. Viv Ansanm reportedly massacred over 180 people in December 2024. On 25 March gang members launched an attack on Haitian police and the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in the Artibonite region in northern Port-au-Prince, killing a Kenyan police officer and destroying three
MRAPs armored vehicles, two of the MSS and one of the Haitian police. On 12 May, a helicopter was targeted by gang members in the Carrefour Vincent area, where bandits opened fire on the aircraft as it flew overhead. Several bullets hit the helicopter, forcing it to crash a short distance away in the Bourdon neighborhood. There were no casualties. On 2 July UN assistant secretary-general
Miroslav Jenča told the
Security Council that Port-au-Prince has been "paralyzed by gangs" and warned that the "total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario".
Ghada Waly, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said "As gang control expands, the state's capacity to govern is rapidly shrinking". During 17 and 18 July, nine civilians were killed by gang members in
L'Estère, Artibonite, in retaliation for the killing of the gang's leader by a self-defense group. On 22 July an ambush by the
Gran Grif gang in
Liancourt left at least three police officers dead and one missing. On August 4 nine people were kidnapped, from Sainte-Hélène orphanage in the commune of
Kenscoff, Ouest. The attackers raided the facilities at around 3:30 am, kidnapping the nun, the minor and seven employees, in an act that has been described as premeditated. On September 23 a drone attack in
Cité Soleil killed 13 people (including eight children) and six civilians were wounded, after Albert Steevenson, known as Djouma or “King Jouma” was celebrating his birthday and distributing gifts. Human rights organizations denounced that local police forces were behind the attack, using this method more regularly. On November 13 seven gang members were killed during a Haitian police operation in Croix-des-Bouquets, Ouest, where officers destroyed a helicopter that made an emergency landing, to prevent its capture. On the same day there was an
attack on the U.S. embassy in Haiti by gangs. In December 2025 the Haitian National Police launched a sustained operation against gangs in Carrefour Aéroport, a major intersection in Port-au-Prince. The police station there, destroyed by gangs in March 2024, was reopened on 7 February 2026. Between 29 March and 1 April 2026, at least 70 people have been killed and 30 injured during attacks by the Gran Grif gang against a vigilante group on the areas of Petite-Rivière, Jean-Denis, Pont-Sondé and Marchand-Dessalines in Artibonite region. Dozens of houses have been burned down and nearly 6,000 people were forced to flee. == Spillover of the war ==