Haiti to continue drone strikes against gangs despite international criticism

The Haitian government will maintain its use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in operations against armed gangs, despite mounting international concern, according to Fritz Jean, chair of Haiti’s transitional presidential council.

In an interview with Financial Times, Jean defended the controversial tactic, describing aerial support as essential for allowing security forces to access gang-controlled territories, Caliber.Az reports.

“We needed this air support in order for the police and army to enter gang areas,” said Jean, who has previously been tight-lipped on the use of drones. “If you don’t call that a war, I don’t know what is.”

Jean stressed that the drone operations are being carried out within legal boundaries, and authorities have so far received no reports of collateral damage.

However, the use of UAVs has sparked criticism from human rights experts and foreign governments. Canada, which has supplied drones to Haiti, has expressed concerns that the operations may contravene both domestic and international law.

Despite the backlash, many analysts argue that drones have significantly shifted the balance of power in Haiti’s battle against heavily armed criminal groups. UAVs have allowed government forces to strike fortified gang positions with greater precision and lower risk to personnel.

Haiti has been struggling to regain control over parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other regions overrun by gangs, as the country awaits the deployment of a Kenyan-led international security mission. In the meantime, drone operations are set to remain a central element of the state's security strategy.

By Khagan Isayev