Overview

• Civilians in Haiti have killed at least 160 gang members in an effort to eliminate violence that has terrorized citizens for two years.
• The vigilante movement, known as “bwa kale,” has led to a major decrease in gang activity, says a Haitian human rights group.
• The rise of mob justice threatens innocent people and could provoke even more violence in retaliation.
• Gangs have long dominated Haiti’s poorest areas, but grew more powerful after the assassination of the last elected president.
• The crisis highlights the failure of the international community to address Haiti’s decline into lawlessness.