Written By Lisa Murimi
The U.S. government on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Haiti gang leader Prophane Victor, a former MP , for his involvement in training, supporting, and arming gangs linked to serious human rights abuses.
Victor was sanctioned alongside Luckson Elan, leader of the Gran Grif gang, by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Elan was specifically targeted for his role in gang violence in Haiti’s Artibonite District, a region near the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti emphasized the destructive impact of Victor and Elan’s actions, citing a United Nations report holding them largely responsible for the ongoing crisis in the country.
The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused the two leaders of orchestrating indiscriminate attacks on civilians and obstructing humanitarian aid.
The move comes a day after President Joe Biden urged swift action to address the violence in Haiti during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Biden praised Kenyan police efforts to help restore peace in the Caribbean nation.
Kenyan President William Ruto also called on the U.N. Security Council to extend the mandate of the Multinational Security Support Mission to sustain peacekeeping efforts in Haiti
