A viral video features Haitian gang leader Joseph Wilson flaunting heavy weaponry, highlighting the pervasive illegal arms trade that has overwhelmed Haiti. With an estimated 20 armed groups operating in Port-au-Prince, experts note a staggering homicide rate, exceeding 5,600 in the previous year alone. Despite a U.N. arms embargo imposed three years back, illegal firearms, primarily sourced from the U.S. and smuggled through various routes, flood the streets. This escalating violence prompted the Haitian government to enforce strict border controls, limiting importation only to goods originating from the Dominican Republic.
Experts estimate that there are about 20 armed groups operating in Port-au-Prince, some who carry AR-15 and Galil assault rifles, shotguns and Glock handguns.
Their superior fire power has overwhelmed the thin ranks of Haiti's ill-equipped police and contributed to an astonishing death toll last year of more than 5,600 homicide victims.
The U.N. estimates that between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms are circulating illegally in Haiti, with most weapons in the hands of gangs.
The issue has become so serious that Haiti's government has restricted imports along its land border with the Dominican Republic.
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