PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) has called on the authorities to ‘do everything possible’ to bring to justice those responsible for attacking a police station and killing six officers earlier this week.

“We extend our condolences to the bereaved families and to the entire PNH [Police Nationale d'Haïti]. We call on the judicial authorities to do everything possible to identify the perpetrators of these odious crimes and punish them according to the rigor of the law,” the BINUH said in a brief statement.

The Departmental Unit for the Maintenance of Order (UDMO – Artibonite) has also condemned the murder of the six police officers by criminal gangs that led to police officers staging protest action in the country on Thursday.

“Once again, the National Police is in mourning following an attack on the Liancourt police station on January 25, 2023, during which six brave police officers from the UDMO of Artibonite were unfortunately killed,” the Directorate of the UDMO of Artibonite said in a statement.

“This Directorate, while presenting its sympathies to the families of the police officers, to their work colleagues and to the large police family, appeals to the police officers for serenity and takes the opportunity to invite them to close ranks with a view to provide an institutional response to the various criminal organisations that terrorise the Haitian population,” it added.

On Wednesday, the six police officers assigned to the UDMO – Artibonite died after they were attacked by members of the “Gran grif” gang operating in Savien. The National Union of Haitian Police Officers (Synapoha) in a statement posted on its Twitter account, said the gang had attacked the police station of Liancourt.

Media reports said that the Liancourt Police Station had been attacked on three occasions during a four-hour period on Wednesday.

The reports said that during the first attack, involving about 30 heavily armed individuals, several of the bandits were mortally wounded by police officers. However, the police were overwhelmed during the third attack which involved more than 100 heavily armed assailants.

According to police sources, some of the police officers killed were receiving treatment in a dispensary in the area after being injured during the exchange of fire.

In a statement, the United States Embassy offered “its deep sympathies to the families and friends of the brave HNP officers killed in the line of duty and calls for calm to safeguard the population and allow for a peaceful mourning period.

“We stand with the security forces as they combat armed gangs to restore security to the Haitian people.”