Haiti’s La Chapelle falls under gang control as police station torched and town sealed off
Port-au-Prince (The Haitian Times): La Chapelle, a commune in Haiti’s lower Artibonite Department, fell to gang control early Sunday morning, after armed men from the “Talibans” group based in Canaan—a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince—launched a pre-dawn assault. The assailants set fire to the police station, including units of the Anti-Gang Tactical Unit (UTAG), forcing officers to retreat.
Trump ally attempts to recruit Haitian American veterans for Haiti mercenary mission
Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): Haitian American military veterans are being recruited by Erik Prince, founder of the controversial private military firm Blackwater, to serve as paid mercenaries in Haiti this summer. The effort is part of a contract Prince has signed with Haiti’s transitional government to help suppress gang violence in and around Port-au-Prince.
Haitians slams Trump for racist double standard in granting refugee status
Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) May 166, 2025,San Diego (HBA): The Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) is outraged by the blatant racism and hypocrisy shown by the Trump administration’s decision to grant refugee protections to white South Afrikaners—based on unverified and debunked claims of “discrimination”—while continuing to deny thousands of Black asylum seekers from Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and other countries where persecution is real, documented, and deadly.
Haitian community leaders convene in Indianapolis for national summit on shaping the diaspora’s future
Puerto Príncipe (The Haitian Times): The Haitian Times and several partners gathered Haitian American leaders and community members from across the United States for a three-day summit in Indianapolis focused on strategies for collective progress. Guided by the outlet’s “Echoes of Strength” report, the summit addressed key issues like housing, civic participation, mental health and wealth-building, marking a new era in diaspora organizing.
Due with interest: Efforts grow for France to repay Haiti $115 billion as ‘Year of Restitution’ arrives
Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): It was around this time in April 1825 that a squadron of French battleships arrived off the coast of Haiti, demanding payment for “losses” suffered during the Haitian Revolution, or else. To avoid an invasion, Haiti agreed to pay the indemnity of 90 million Francs and to borrow from French banks to make installment payments.
Kenyan police death toll rises as gangs torch three armored vehicles in Artibonite ambush
The Haitian Times March 27, 2025, Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): A rescue operation by the Kenya-led multinational force (MSS) and the Haitian National Police (PNH) turned deadly when gangs ambushed officers in Savien, near Pont-Sondé, in Haiti’s lower Artibonite department.
New attacks on Haitian media reignites calls for gang crackdown
Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): Armed gangs carried out coordinated attacks against three major media outlets in Port-au-Prince over the weekend, intensifying concerns over press freedom and the rule of law in Haiti.
Fritz Alphonse Jean becomes new president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council
The Haitian Times March 9, 2025, Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): Fritz Alphonse Jean, representative of the Montana Accord, was officially sworn in as president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) succeeding Leslie Voltaire from the Fanmi Lavalas political party, whose five-month tenure was overshadowed by worsening security conditions.
144 Kenyan officers, Salvadoran helicopters and U.S. support bolster Haiti security efforts
Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): A fourth contingent of 144 Kenyan police officers, including 120 men and 24 women, arrived as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. The mission also received three helicopters from El Salvador and a much-needed financial boost from the United States.
Colombian President Petro apologizes to Haiti
Port au Prince (The Haitian Times): Colombian President Gustavo Petro paid a historic visit to Jacmel in southeastern Haiti, where he offered a formal apology for the involvement of Colombian mercenaries in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
