Colombia's Petro visits Haiti for a 2nd time to help bolster security as gang violence surges
Petro announced the opening of a Colombian embassy in Haiti and pledged to help Haiti strengthen its security.
Petro met with Haiti's prime minister and its transitional presidential council, which is under pressure to hold general elections before February 2026.
While officials met behind closed doors, a statement from Colombia's government noted they would review bilateral projects focused on security, commerce, education, agriculture and the fight against drug trafficking.
Petro's administration has offered to train Haitian officers, and Haitian delegations have visited a state-owned arms manufacturing company in Colombia to learn about its defense capabilities.
The two countries are strengthening their ties as judges in Haiti continue to interrogate 17 former Colombian soldiers accused in the July 2021 killing of President Jovenel Moïse.
Petro previously visited Haiti in late January, where he was received in the southern coastal city of Jacmel with much fanfare. Prior to his visit, Haitian officials invested some $3.8 million to more than double the runway at the airport in Jacmel, renovate the town and restore electricity to a population living in the dark for at least three years.
This time, Petro landed in Port-au-Prince, where 90% of the capital is under gang control. He was accompanied by officials including Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The officials arrived less than a week after Haitian authorities killed four suspected drug traffickers and confiscated more than 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of cocaine off the country's north coast.
It was a remarkable seizure for Haiti's National Police, which remains understaffed and underfunded as it works with Kenyan police leading a U.N.-backed mission to help quell gang violence.
While most of the violence is centered in Port-au-Prince, gangs have razed and seized control of a growing number of towns in Haiti's central region.
At least 4,864 people have been killed from October to the end of June across Haiti, with hundreds of others kidnapped, raped and trafficked, according to a recent U.N. report.
Gang violence also has displaced 1.3 million people in recent years.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
20 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Several people injured after passenger train derails in southwestern Germany
BERLIN (AP) — Several people were injured after a passenger train derailed Sunday in southwestern Germany, according to German news agency dpa. Federal police told dpa that the severity of the injuries was not immediately clear. The crash occurred in the Biberach district, nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the French border. Details about what caused the derailment were not immediately available.
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church
Islamic State-backed rebels attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. 'The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. 'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP. 🚨🕊️ ALERTE | Au Congo, une ATTAQUE menée par des INSURGÉS affiliés à l'État ISLAMIQUE contre une ÉGLISE de Komanda a fait AU MOINS 40 morts cette nuit. Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, U.N.-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda. — Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
an hour ago
- Edmonton Journal
Death toll climbing from Islamic State-backed attack on Congo Catholic church
Article content Islamic State-backed rebels attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. Article content Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. Article content Article content 'The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Article content Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. Article content At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. Article content 🚨🕊️ ALERTE | Au Congo, une ATTAQUE menée par des INSURGÉS affiliés à l'État ISLAMIQUE contre une ÉGLISE de Komanda a fait AU MOINS 40 morts cette nuit. — L'Écho Chrétien (@lechochretien) July 27, 2025 Article content Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Article content Article content Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, U.N.-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Article content Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Article content Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. Article content The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. Article content In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Article content The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda. Article content
