Pro-Government Militias
Civilian Vigilantes (Haiti)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 377 |
| Country: | Haiti |
| Date formed: | Aug. 30, 2005 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | After Aristide was ousted on 30 August 2005, police used civilian vigilantes to carry out slum raids targeted at the gangs that had supported Aristide. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | No information |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti (FRAPH) / Attaches / Zenglendons |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 6173 |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | unclear | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Port au Prince |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics |
| Purpose(s): | intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Officially, the group was formed to hunt down suspected gang members and criminals, but it was primarily used to repress the opposition, targeting Aristide gangs and supporters and the Lavalas party, and conducted indiscriminate attacks in areas that supported Aristide. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group attacked individuals based on suspected gang membership and killed civilians in Aristide strongholds. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | It is reported that the group was armed with machetes, iron bars and rocks. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | According to news sources, the group cooperated with the police in joint operations. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.