UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — UN sanctions imposed against gang leaders who control much of Haiti have had very little effect, and an arms embargo has failed to deny them weapons, according to a report published Thursday by UN experts monitoring the restrictions.

In October 2022 the UN Security Council imposed a series of sanctions such as a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo against one gang leader at the time, Jimmy Cherizier, who goes by the nickname Barbecue.

This was later expanded and now five gang leaders are targeted by these sanctions, including the ones considered the most powerful of the crime groups wreaking havoc in Haiti.

In October of last year the Security Council approved an embargo on sending small arms and ammunition to all of Haiti, not just to the gang leaders.

As to the individual sanctions, these experts said “the effect of that sanctioning remains extremely limited, as gang leaders and the activities of their gangs are largely unaffected by the measures”, according to the new report, covering the period November 2023 to February 2024.

The gang leaders “have continued to build their arsenals, extend their control over territory and increase their numbers, despite the sanctions imposed against them,” the experts said.

And as for the territorial arms embargo, “it is still early in the process, and the implementation of the enlarged scope of the arms embargo remains weak with limited resources to enforce it in Haiti and the region”.

And “gangs and other non-state actors continue to procure arms and ammunition illicitly”, namely in the United States and the Dominican Republic, the experts said, quoting interviews with Haitian police who said the gangs do not seem to have any shortages of ammunition.

During a visit to Haiti it became clear that police and customs officers — who are supposed to enforce the arms embargo — were not even aware of the terms of this embargo, these experts said.

Haiti has suffered through decades of extreme poverty, natural disasters, political instability and gang violence.

In late February gang leaders who control much of Port-au-Prince teamed up to attack police stations, prisons, the airport and the sea port in a drive to topple Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The unelected and unpopular leader was appointed by President Jovenel Moise shortly before the latter’s assassination in 2021.

Henry announced March 11 that he would resign once a transitional council tasked with restoring order and governance is installed. But this council has yet to be finalised.