British News Agency

UN Secretary-General António Guterres today condemned the killing of at least 40 people in Haiti. Haitian media reported that militias killed people in the fishing village of Labodrie, north of the capital Port-au-Prince.

The UN said: “The Secretary-General is concerned about the wave of violence sweeping Haiti and calls on the Haitian authorities to ensure that those responsible for this and other human rights violations are held accountable.”

According to Haitian media, the murders were triggered by a gang war in Labodrie following the killing of a gang leader known as Vladimir. Vladimir was a member of the Viv Ansanm gang, which the US government officially designated as a terrorist organization in May.

It is believed that the majority of Port-au-Prince is under gang control. In much of the country, state authority has effectively collapsed, and in recent years thousands of people have been killed in gang wars.