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Haiti: EU lists three individuals and renews sanctions regime for an additional year

European Council / Council of the European Union

Council of the EU
Press release
15 July 2025 15:10

Today the Council decided to list three individuals that have engaged in criminal activities and gang violence in Haiti, and are therefore responsible for actions that threaten the peace, stability and security of the country.

The Council has listed three gang leaders: Micanor Altès, leader of the Wharf Jérémie gang responsible for the massacre of 207 people in December 2024; Christ-Roi Chéry, leader of the Ti Bwa gang, and Jeff Larose, leader of the Canaan gang, both responsible for forcible recruitment of children, kidnapping, homicides and sexual and gender-based violence.

They will be subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, is prohibited. Additionally, a travel ban to the EU applies to them.

A dangerous crisis is only getting worse in Haiti. Today the EU has imposed new targeted sanctions on individuals including those involved in mass killings, the forcible recruitment of children, kidnapping, homicides and sexual and gender-based violence. At this moment of grave instability, Haiti urgently needs support from the international community. Discussions at the UN Security Council should secure without further delay the future of the Multinational Security Support Mission including by giving it the financing it needs to fulfil its mandate of restoring peace, stability, and the rule of law in the country.

- Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Furthermore, the Council decided today to renew the EU framework for restrictive measures against those responsible for threatening the peace, stability and security of Haiti or undermining democracy and the rule of law in the country until 29 July 2026, as the EU remains concerned about the persistent and destabilising criminal activities, including the high levels of gang violence, that undermine the stability of the region.

In its conclusions of 17 October 2024, the European Council stated it remained extremely concerned about the situation in Haiti and called for new targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for violence, with the objective of helping to restore peace, security, stability, democracy and the rule of law in Haiti.

The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Background

On 21 October 2022, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2653 (2022), which established a sanctions regime on Haiti, including targeted assets freeze, travel restrictions and arms embargo measures. On 25 November 2022, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2022/2319 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Haiti implementing that UNSC Resolution.

On 28 July 2023, the Council amended its sanctions regime in view of the situation in Haiti, allowing the EU to autonomously impose restrictive measures on individuals and entities responsible for threatening the peace, security or stability of Haiti, or for undermining democracy or the rule of law in Haiti. This framework complements the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council in October 2022.

Haiti remains firmly on the agenda of the EU. The EU's support is twofold: on the one hand to strengthen the institutional capacity and on the other to facilitate the access to basic public services to the population in the very insecure and volatile context. The EU support entails macroeconomic assistance as well as assistance to education, food security and nutrition, disaster preparedness, protection and stability, including to the Haitian National Police.

The European Union is a long-standing political and development partner of Haiti, and will continue to play its part alongside other regional partners, to help face the dire situation, including humanitarian crisis in the country.