FIGHTING GANGS: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001057

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA)
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS
DS/IP/WHA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KCRM MOPS HA
SUBJECT: FIGHTING GANGS: TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

REF: A. PORT AU PRINCE 505

B. PORT AU PRINCE 523

C. PORT AU PRINCE 966

D. PORT AU PRINCE 987

PORT AU PR 00001057 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please
protect accordingly.


2. (U) Summary: Since the beginning of 2007, MINUSTAH and
the Haitian National Police (HNP) have arrested 750 gang
members. The greatest effects are seen in Cite Soleil, where
new gang members periodically rise to the top only to be
arrested or chased out by another contender. In a recent
setback, the incarceration system released "Ti Bazil," one of
the first prominent gang members to be arrested, on May 21.
In Gonaives, where unrest has been the word of the day, the
HNP have made several arrests, including that of infamous
gang leader "Ti Will." Despite these successes, neither
kidnappings nor murders have been eliminated. End summary.

Cite Soleil Gangs Vie for Leadership
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3. (SBU) MINUSTAH continues to hammer away at top gang
leaders in Cite Soleil. On May 7, they arrested "Blade
Nazon," who led the gang based in the Ti Ayiti section of
Cite Soleil and was reportedly attempting to expand his grip
over the area (ref B). The HNP then arrested Wilo Jeune,
younger brother of Evans Jeune (ref A) at the bus station in
Gonaives on May 28. MINUSTAH continues to pursue Evans'
other brother, Claude, who is reportedly still in Cite
Soleil. International Organization for Migration (IOM)
sources report that gang members are now feeding MINUSTAH
information concerning the whereabouts of other gangs and
their weapons caches in an attempt to push their rivals from
power. The turf wars affect development work in the area as
the gang members try to raise money by demanding ''taxes''
from NGOs.

Ti Bazil Released
--------------


4. (SBU) Pierre Louis Johnny, alias Ti Bazil, arrested
February 18 on charges of kidnapping, illegal possession of a
firearm, and gang involvement, walked out of jail a free man
on May 21. Ti Bazil was one of the first major gang leaders
arrested in MINUSTAH's push to quell gang violence in Cite
Soleil. Police commissar Joseph Louis Mannes, assigned to
the state attorney's office in Port-au-Prince, signed the
release order, but justification for the release has not been
made available. UN SRSG Edmond Mulet has made claims that Ti
Bazil bribed a judge approximately USD 2000 for his release.
MINUSTAH officials told PolCouns that while in custody Ti
Bazil had been giving the HNP information about at-large Cite
Soleil gang leader Amaral Duclona, and that now Amaral may be
looking for revenge. Upon his release, Ti Bazil reportedly
returned to his home in Soleil 11, where residents reported
an increase in gunfire the night of his release. The latest
rumor is that after fighting with a rival gang in Soleil 17
-- where Amaral is rumored to be hiding -- Ti Bazil fled Cite
Soleil and took up hiding in Petionville.

Progress in Gonaives
--------------


5. (U) MINUSTAH and the HNP on May 27 arrested Gonaives gang
leader Wilfort Ferdinand, alias Ti Will, as he gave an
interview on a local radio station. The arrest marks the
first strike against rampant gang violence in Gonaives (ref
C). Another prominent gang member was killed and three more
were arrested in a shootout with the HNP on June 1 in
Gonaives.

New Wave of Murders and Kidnappings
--------------


6. (U) Member's of the ''Ti Machete'' gang based in the
Martissant neighborhood of Port-au-Prince during the first

PORT AU PR 00001057 002.2 OF 002


week in May killed two HNP officers in what police believe
were targeted revenge killings for HNP anti-gang activities
in the neighborhood. Kidnappers on May 16 released Nicole
Chancy, who claimed that the kidnappers revealed that Gary
Pierre-Paul Charles, the Director of Information for Signal
FM, was their real taget. Charles has been receiving
threats due to is strong denouncing of banditry and gangs on
his program ''Haiti Today.'' The murder of Francois Ltour,
one of Haiti's leading actors and media pesonalities, in an
apparent botched kidnapping onMay 9 capped the media
coverage of the high proile crime in Port-au-Prince and
Gonaives over thepast several weeks.

GOH Still Talking Tough
--------------


7. (U) Prime Minister Jacques Edouad Alexis declared on May
28 that he has given MIUSTAH and the HNP firm instrctions
to search out gang members. In keeping with previous GOH
statements, he said that ''The government does not intend to
give free rein to bandits and, on the contrary, we continue
to pursue them.''


8. (SBU) Comment: The release of Ti Bazil exemplifies the
corruption in the Haitian justice system but may have,
ironically, strengthened the case for swift action on justice
reform legislation currently before the parliament (ref D).
Regardless, MINUSTAH has made great strides in improving the
overall security of Cite Soleil. Jockeying for leadership of
the gangs continues to foment unrest in the area, but the
violence is greatly reduced from 2006 levels. The problem
has morphed from large, organized gang networks to smaller,
more widely dispersed criminal groups, similar to the problem
the HNP and MINUSTAH face in other parts of Haiti. The
diffuse yet persistent nature of gang activity from Cite
Soleil to Martissant to Gonaives presents an ongoing
challenge to MINUSTAH and the HNP. They can no longer be
content with targeting a small number of marquee gang
leaders, but must tackle the wider challenges of basic law
enforcement.
SANDERSON