World · Latin America · 2 hrs ago
Salvadoran troops support Haiti operation that killed 20
Haitian police, backed by Salvadoran troops, attacked a gang site in Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince, on Sunday.
The operation targeted the headquarters of 400 Mawozo, one of Haiti’s largest gangs, and reportedly killed 20 people.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said the site belonged to gang leader Lanmo San Jou, while Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime praised him.
More than 2,000 Salvadoran troops have been sent to Haiti since four Salvadoran personnel went missing in October.
Most are not part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, raising concerns about how the troops are governed and held accountable.
Amnesty International has called on both countries to publish the deployment agreement and investigate any allegations of rights abuses.
Fils-Aime is due to visit El Salvador next week to discuss the troops’ future, as Haiti prepares for elections next year after more than a decade without them.
A Haitian police operation supported by Salvadoran troops killed 20 people, according to reports.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said the operation destroyed the home of suspected gang leader Lanmo San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters.
The operation took place on Sunday in Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince.
The deployment of more than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers has raised concerns about rules of engagement and coordination with a UN-backed force.
Amnesty International called on Haiti and El Salvador to disclose the deployment agreement and ensure operations comply with international human rights law.
- Who
- Haitian police carried out the operation with support from Salvadoran troops. President Nayib Bukele announced it.
- What
- The operation targeted a suspected gang leader’s home and the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters. It reportedly killed 20 people.
- When
- Sunday; Bukele announced the attack on Tuesday.
- Where
- Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
- Why
- The operation targeted a suspected gang leader and gang headquarters. The sources do not state a more specific reason.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Four Salvadoran GSF soldiers went missing during an ambush attack.
El Salvador sent about 2,000 troops to Haiti.
Haitian police, supported by Salvadoran troops, conducted an operation that reportedly killed 20 people.
Bukele announced the attack on X, and Haiti’s prime minister praised him.
Haiti’s prime minister is set to visit El Salvador to discuss the future of Salvadoran troops in Haiti.
- Deaths
- 20 people reportedly killed
- Salvadoran deployment
- More than 2,000 soldiers
- Target
- Home of suspected gang leader Lanmo San Jou and 400 Mawozo gang headquarters
- Operation site
- Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince
- Missing personnel
- Four Salvadoran GSF soldiers went missing on October 18
3 sources
What people are saying
We destroyed the house of [gang leader] Lanmo San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters
Both governments must make public the agreement governing the deployment and explain how they oversee the deployed forces, what rules govern the use of force, to whom they are accountable, and how people can report possible violations without fear of reprisals
The response to gang violence must not replicate the abuses and impunity that have characterized previous interventions in Haiti