To succeed in Haiti, stop illegal flow of US weapons to gangs

When President William Ruto flagged off the first 400 police officers for the United Nations-led peace mission in Haiti on June 26, 2024. [PCS, Standard]

Americans should thank Kenya for putting its police officers in harm's way by leading a United Nations-backed effort to prevent Haiti from becoming a failed state. But as close friends and allies, we need to be honest about chances for success of this mission if illegal weapons flow from the US to criminal gangs that have brought civil society to its knees.

A recent report from the United Nations confirms an ugly and dangerous truth: The US gun industry and weak US gun laws are facilitating the exploding humanitarian disaster in Haiti. The UN's Office on Drugs and Crime documented that a network of criminal actors, including members of the Haitian diaspora living in the US "often source firearms from across the US" and smuggle them into Haiti illegally.

"Popular handguns selling for $400-$500 at federally licensed firearms outlets or private gun shows in the US can be resold for as much as $10,000 in Haiti," the report explained. "Higher-powered rifles such as AK47s, AR15s and Galils, an Israeli-made automatic rifle, are typically in higher demand from gangs, and command higher prices."

The main gun distribution point in the US is Florida. The report said the US Department of Homeland Security's investigations unit indicated "a surge in firearms trafficking from Florida to Haiti between 2021 and 2022." These weapons include ".50 caliber sniper rifles, .308 rifles, and even belt-fed machine guns."

Weak US laws and reckless gun industry practices are to blame. The report noted: "Weapons are frequently procured through straw man purchases (people who buy guns with the intent of selling them to third parties) in US states with looser gun laws and fewer purchasing restrictions" and then transported to Florida where they are concealed inside consumer products, electronic equipment, garment linings, frozen food items and the hull of freighters.

There is a clear nexus between the US guns that arms gangs in Haiti, and the drugs that those gangs then traffic back to the US. The report explains that Haiti has long been a trans-shipment hub to send cocaine, cannabis, heroin and amphetamines to the US and the Dominican Republic.

Since Haiti's President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2022, gangs have grown more powerful, and gang violence has reached a level not seen in decades. Last December, the UN estimated that gangs controlled 60 per cent of Haiti's capital; other estimates put it closer to 100 per cent.

Local police forces are outgunned and overwhelmed. Outside help is desperately needed. But those helping need absolute clarity on mission goals and demand that the US government do everything in its power to stop the flow of weapons.

Mexico is one country in the region that has had enough of violence committed with illegal gun imports from the US. Its justice department has sued manufacturers and gun stores for damage suffered by Mexican citizens at the hands of drug gangs using guns smuggled from the US to spread terror throughout the country, with instability now bleeding across Mexico's southern border.

The gun industry has attempted to block the lawsuits, citing constitutional and other legal protections, but several have been approved for trial, though defendants will appeal to higher courts. Courts and juries can stop the slaughter by forcing the gun industry to act responsibly. In addition, the US government needs to increase its vigilance at ports to curb the illegal export of weapons before they leave the country and to increase prosecution of those who flout existing law.

Americans who pay attention to this issue are grateful to Kenya for its assistance and know that the decision to send peacekeepers to Haiti is contentious. Meanwhile, other countries, including the US have expressed interest in committing security forces under the UN purview including Benin, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh and Chad.

Kenya and all these countries need to tell President Joe Biden and members of Congress that more must be done to eliminate the supply of guns that have turned Haiti into a powder keg where their young peacekeepers have been sent or will soon be sent. Forever instability is not acceptable when alternatives exist in plain sight. Friends and allies need to be honest about what is required if peace, stability and dignity are to return to the Haitian people.

Mr Barry is currently a visiting professor at the United States International University-Africa in Nairobi. [e-mail]