Are renewed gang clashes at an oil terminal testing Haiti's path to elections?

KUALA LUMPUR, 13 AUGUST 2026 —

**Renewed gang clashes at Haiti’s main oil terminal raise election risks**

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Renewed clashes between Haiti’s Wharf Jérémie and Belekou gangs at the Varreaux oil terminal on Aug 10 have disrupted the country’s main fuel supply, raising concerns over Haiti’s path to elections scheduled for Dec 13. The violence, which erupted in Cité Soleil, follows a surge in gang-related fatalities in 2026, with at least 424 deaths recorded between January and July, nearly double the 2025 total.

The clashes threaten to exacerbate fuel shortages, disrupting supply chains, hospital operations, and humanitarian efforts. Past incidents at the terminal have demonstrated how gang violence can weaponise critical infrastructure to pressure authorities. The latest outbreak tests Haiti’s security forces, including the newly deployed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), which has been stationed in Cité Soleil and near the terminal following the establishment of a new police station.

Details not yet available on the immediate impact on fuel supplies or whether the violence has spread beyond Cité Soleil. The gangs’ renewed hostilities follow a period of relative stability in 2025, when fatalities declined after the Viv Ansanm alliance formed in September 2023. However, the alliance’s lack of centralised command has been exposed by recent internecine conflicts, highlighting its reliance on temporary agreements rather than a durable truce.

The violence comes ahead of Haiti’s elections, with protecting key infrastructure such as the Varreaux terminal seen as critical to maintaining security and containing gang interference. The GSF’s ability to secure the area will be closely watched as a litmus test for broader stability.