The Christian organization Justice Coalition of Religious had asked the United Nations and the international community to ensure that the violence in Haiti is handled 'quickly and effectively.'
What the Letter Contained
According to an article by UCA News, the religious coalition asked U.N. special rapporteur on violence against children, Najat Maalla M'jid, and almost three dozen other representatives and special rapporteurs to look into and respond to the ongoing Haiti crisis.
The letter dated Aug. 4 alleged that the Haiti government has 'failed to protect the population.'
The correspondence reportedly came with various testimonies on the ground that painted a picture of what was happening in Haiti.
Rick Frechette, a Port-au-Prince physician and Passionist priest, claimed in a testimony that Haiti's street violence now closely resembles skirmishes in Somalia.
UCA News disclosed that the testimonies and the organization's U.N. letter were not publicly available, but Catholic News Service (CNS) managed to secure copies of them.
In a letter to CNS, coalition representative Annemarie O'Connor said they are working along the Haitian bishops' conference's pronouncement in late July that Haiti's government must be reclaimed.
O'Connor added that the government should act quickly and quell the gangs who are spreading violence across the country.
The coalition representative likewise explained the need for the government to secure 'confidence and serenity' amid the street violence in Haiti communities.
Haiti Jesuits Weigh In on the Issue
The same article said that the Jesuits of Haiti issued on Aug. 12 a statement calling for the involvement of the international community in the Haiti crisis.
The UCA News article said the Jesuits called for a fresh approach to providing help to Haiti while still respecting the nation's sovereignty.
Jesuit Superior Father Jean Denis Saint-Felix said in the statement that the country's leadership is utterly powerless in exercising its constitutional duty to the Haitian people.
The Jesuit statement added that the international community must offer a "sincere engagement" to provide the final solution to the country's ongoing peace and security woes.
Details of Violence in Haiti Communities
UCA News disclosed that the identical calls for international community intervention came a month following the outbreak of violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.
The article revealed that a Sunday service congregation inside a Protestant church witnessed the murder of a police officer.
The victim became the 30th fatality among police officers in 2022 alone.
Meanwhile, an armed skirmish between rival gangs that lasted for 10 days resulted in the deaths of 209 people in Cite Soleil.
The violence that erupted in the slums of Cite Soleil also displaced at least 3,000 residents, the article noted.
Warring gangs also set on fire courthouses and a Catholic cathedral in Croix-des-Bouquets and Port-au-Prince, respectively.
Because of such incidents of violence, Father Frechette lamented the 'clear absence' of a functional state in Haiti.
He alleged that some state officials and politicians support some of the gangs. He dubbed the ongoing gang wars as 'civil war disguised as gang wars.'
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