The EU condemns the Pont Sondé massacre as thousands of Haitians flee the violence

The European Union (EU) has condemned the horrific massacre carried out by the “Gran Grif” gang in Pont Sondé, Haiti last week. In a statement released on Sunday, the EU described the massacre as “yet another escalation of the extreme violence inflicted on the Haitian people by these criminal groups.”

The EU stressed the urgent need for the full deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) to assist the Haitian National Police in combating gang violence and restoring the rule of law.

Nearly 6,300 people have fled their homes after an attack by heavily armed gang members in central Haiti that left at least 70 dead, according to the United Nations migration agency.

The International Organization for Migration reported that nearly 90% of displaced people are seeking shelter with relatives, while 12% have found shelter in other locations, including a school.

The attack in Pont-Sondé took place early Thursday morning, causing many residents to flee under cover of night.

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The organization reaffirmed its commitment to work with regional partners to address the serious humanitarian crisis in Haiti and pursue a sustainable path to security and stabilization. The EU intends to use all available instruments, including targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for such violence, to help restore peace, security, stability, democracy and the rule of law in Haiti.

The EU underlined the importance of developing long-term solutions that integrate humanitarian efforts, development and peace initiatives to effectively support the Haitian people.

Gran Grif gang leader Luckson Elan took responsibility for the massacre, saying it was retaliation for civilians who remained passive while police and vigilante groups killed his soldiers.

The killings are the latest sign of a worsening conflict in Haiti, where armed gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

More than 700,000 people — more than half of whom are children — are now internally displaced in Haiti, the International Organization for Migration said in an Oct. 2 statement. That was an increase of 22% since June