Deadly Clash in Haiti Exposes Fragile Security and Gang Influence

In a grim reminder of Haiti's ongoing security crisis, police officers fatally shot former rebel leader Wilfort Ferdinand at a checkpoint in Gonaïves earlier this week. Known as Kòmandan Ti Wil, Ferdinand was more than a relic of past uprisings—he remained an active gang figurehead whose influence threatens not only Haitian citizens but regional security.According to police spokesman Michel-Ange Louis Jeune, the fatal encounter unfolded when Ferdinand approached a routine checkpoint targeting the notorious Kokorat San Ras gang, known for terrorizing the Artibonite region with brutal violence. When Ferdinand’s vehicle, suspiciously tinted and evasive, reversed and opened fire on officers,...