Digital
threats posed by armed gangs are a growing concern in Haiti. In the wake of the
March 3rd prison break and subsequent violence, gang activity has not only
disrupted daily life but has also increasingly moved into the digital sphere.
On March 3, armed gangs attacked a major prison in
Port-au-Prince leaving 12 people dead and 3700 inmates to escape. This unprecedented assault leads by gangs’ coalition
« Viv Ansanm » force Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. It was followed
by National palace, Central Bank of Haiti, many ministers and Police stations
attacks.
This
crisis that lasts since the presidency of assassinated president Jovenel Moise
cause thousands of homicides and hundreds of thousand people
to flee Haiti’s Capital and its neighborhood. We assisted an increasing polarization in public
sphere which stalled discussions among actors to find a consensus.
Consequently, thousands of Haitians have tried to emigrate to North and South
America countries. In response to this crisis, different actors including
the USA and Ecuador pledged for
international support for Haiti. After several months, some countries
particularly USA and Canada impose sanctions against several elites politics
and economics actors among others former prime ministers and presidents for corruption and criminal activities financing. While UN security council approved a Multinational
security support deployment led by Kenya to reinforce National police capacity
to respond gangs violence, their eviction from strategic areas and control of
critical infrastructure, emphasis have been made on lethal weapon support and
heavy handle operations.
While recognized their importance to the crisis resolution, we need to take a
more holistic approach to tackle challenges in Haiti’s crisis. One of these
challenges, we have just come to admit is the digital threats from internal
enemies back up by external actors.
Those
threats evolve form media interviewing armed gang leaders to strategic disinformation
campaigns on social media, physical attacks on telecommunication infrastructure
and as revealed by Ayibopost, National police
communications’ hacking by gangs,
which compromised security planed actions by the police. During his attack
against the national palace and civil prison in Port-au-prince, gang leader Izo
used drone as a strategic surveillance tool to gather information on the
ground. Thus, in their war against Haiti, armed gangs are using digital
technologies for different purpose : spread propaganda online, gather
information and disrupt digital infrastructure.
Haitian
government and international cooperation need to take seriously those threats
among absence of thorough evaluation of their capacity to plan cyberattacks and
accurate information on comprised devices and infrastructure into the public
administration. International cooperation in support to Haiti should not underestimate
gang ability to use digital technologies to attack institutions, spread fear,
seeking legitimacy and to recruit new members. Thus, a proportionate response
should be given to this issue in order to eradicate gangs influence on Haitian
lives. Particularly youth who are listening to gang songs who promote and
banalize violence and criminal activities. These actions should put in
gangsters’ mind, there are consequences to their actions.
We
encourage the UN and Haitian government to take these following actions to combat
digital threats by armed gangs groups.
1) Collect their online contents as evidence of their
involvement in criminal activities for future indictment. Several gangs such as
Izo, Barbecue, and Lanmo san 100 jou have directly published contents of their
gang activities. These publications should be collected as evidence against
them in future trials.
2) Ban accounts and publications that praise violence by
armed groups. UN and haitien government must collaborate officially with social
media compagnies to ban every accounts hold by gangs leaders and publications
related to propaganda and apology of violence, and criminal activities.
3) Reinforce physical protection of technological
infrastructure. It’s important to protect such technologies because of citizens
and administration dependance to deliver and access critical services and stay
informed. Haitian government should make a thorough evaluation of each sites
where are located critical infrastructure and protect them.
4) We need to counter gang narratives online by
developing and disseminating messages that highlight negative consequences of
gang activities and uplifting positive stories in the Haitian communities.
Actors should collaborate with local voices such as social media influencers
and journalists to promote fact-based reporting and media literacy.
5) We need to increase the Customs agency to control
technology import and the Minister of interior to identify those with high risk
profile to national security. We must also increase international cooperation and
information sharing to combat transnational collaboration among criminals.
The digital tactics employed by armed gangs in Haiti
pose a significant and multifaceted threat to the nation's stability. Their use
of social media for propaganda and recruitment, coupled with attacks on
critical infrastructure, undermines public safety and erodes trust in
institutions. While a forceful response
is necessary to combat these threats, a solely punitive approach is
insufficient.
To effectively counter this digital warfare, a
multi-pronged strategy is essential. Collaboration between the Haitian
government, international actors, and civil society is crucial. Efforts must focus on strengthening digital
defenses, promoting media literacy, and countering gang narratives with
positive stories of resilience from Haitian communities. By addressing the root causes of gang
violence alongside these digital measures, Haiti can build a more secure and
hopeful future.