<p>Nearly 200 people in&nbsp;Haiti&nbsp;were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government on Monday condemning a massacre of "unbearable cruelty."</p>

<p>The killings in the capital Port-au-Prince were overseen by a powerful gang leader convinced that his son's illness was caused by followers of the religion, according to civil organization the Committee for Peace and Development (CPD).</p>

<p>It was the latest act of extreme violence by powerful gangs that control most of the capital city in the impoverished Caribbean country mired for decades in political instability, natural disasters and other woes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son," a statement from the&nbsp;Haiti-based group said.</p>

<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "horrific" violence, which his spokesman said left at least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, dead.</p>

<p>Calling the bloody episode an "act of barbarity, of unbearable cruelty," the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said "this monstrous crime constitutes a direct attack on humanity."</p>

<p>Both the CPD and UN said that the killings took place in the capital's western coastal neighbourhood of Cite Soleil.</p>

<p>Reached by telephone by AFP, a resident confirmed the attacks and said that his 76-year-old father was among the victims.</p>

<p>"The bandits set fire to his body. The family cannot even organize a burial for him since we were unable to recover the body," he told AFP on condition of anonymity so as not to compromise the safety of other relatives.</p>

<p>"I also fear for their lives," he said. "I will try to get them out."</p>

<h2><strong>Taken to be 'executed'</strong></h2>

<p>"The gang's soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes to take them to the chief's stronghold to be executed," the CPD said.</p>

<p>"Reliable sources within the community report that more than a hundred people were massacred, their bodies mutilated and burned in the street," it said.</p>

<p>One of the organization's leaders, Fritznel Pierre, told Radio Magik 9 in an interview that the number of casualties was not exhaustive, as the area was difficult to access.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwj2qpCZkJ2KAxXd1jgGHZrQOBIQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/massacre-ordered-by-gang-leader-in-haiti-claimed-over-100-lives-says-rights-group-782666" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/massacre-ordered-by-gang-leader-in-haiti-claimed-over-100-lives-says-rights-group-782666&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj2qpCZkJ2KAxXd1jgGHZrQOBIQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE">Massacre ordered by gang leader in Haiti claimed over 100 lives, says rights group</a></strong></p>

<p>He reported that henchmen had hunted down old people and voodoo followers living in the Wharf Jeremie section of Cite Soleil between Friday evening and Saturday.</p>

<p>"Motorcycle taxi drivers who tried to flee with targeted people were also executed," he said.</p>

<p>Voodoo was brought to&nbsp;Haiti&nbsp;by African slaves and is a mainstay of the country's culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and only recognized as an official religion by the Haitian government in 2003.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Haiti Summons French Ambassador Following Macron's "Morons" Remark About Its Leaders</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/haiti-summons-french-ambassador-following-macrons-morons-remark-about-its-leaders-778686/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>While it incorporates elements of other religious beliefs, including Catholicism, voodoo has been historically attacked by other religions.</p>

<p>Haiti&nbsp;has suffered from decades of instability but the situation escalated in February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.</p>

<p>Gangs now control 80 per cent of the city. Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the United States and UN, violence has continued to soar.</p>

<p>The UN chief called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the weekend massacre and also reiterated calls for more international support to assist Haitian police in their battle against the gangs.</p>

<p>More than 700,000 people are internally displaced in&nbsp;Haiti, half of them children; added to this are 5,000 forced from their homes by the weekend massacre, said the International Organization for Migration.</p>

<p>The latest killings bring the death toll this year in&nbsp;Haiti&nbsp;to around 5,000 people, according to the United Nations.</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.</em></p>


Nearly 200 people in Haiti were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government on Monday condemning a massacre of "unbearable cruelty.

Nearly 200 people in Haiti were killed in brutal weekend violence reportedly orchestrated against voodoo practitioners, with the government on Monday condemning a massacre of "unbearable cruelty." The killings in the capital Port-au-Prince were overseen by a powerful gang leader convinced that his son's illness was caused by followers of the religion, according to civil organization the Committee for Peace and Development (CPD). It was the latest act of extreme violence by powerful gangs that control most of the capital city in the impoverished Caribbean country mired for decades in political instability, natural disasters and other woes. "He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son," a statement from the Haiti-based group said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the "horrific" violence, which his spokesman said left at least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, dead. Calling the bloody episode an "act of barbarity, of unbearable cruelty," the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said "this monstrous crime constitutes a direct attack on humanity." Both the CPD and UN said that the killings took place in the capital's western coastal neighbourhood of Cite Soleil. Reached by telephone by AFP, a resident confirmed the attacks and said that his 76-year-old father was among the victims. "The bandits set fire to his body. The family cannot even organize a burial for him since we were unable to recover the body," he told AFP on condition of anonymity so as not to compromise the safety of other relatives. "I also fear for their lives," he said. "I will try to get them out." Taken to be 'executed' "The gang's soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes to take them to the chief's stronghold to be executed," the CPD said. "Reliable sources within the community report that more than a hundred people were massacred, their bodies mutilated and burned in the street," it said. One of the organization's leaders, Fritznel Pierre, told Radio Magik 9 in an interview that the number of casualties was not exhaustive, as the area was difficult to access. Also read: Massacre ordered by gang leader in Haiti claimed over 100 lives, says rights group He reported that henchmen had hunted down old people and voodoo followers living in the Wharf Jeremie section of Cite Soleil between Friday evening and Saturday. "Motorcycle taxi drivers who tried to flee with targeted people were also executed," he said. Voodoo was brought to Haiti by African slaves and is a mainstay of the country's culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and only recognized as an official religion by the Haitian government in 2003. Watch: Haiti Summons French Ambassador Following Macron's "Morons" Remark About Its Leaders × While it incorporates elements of other religious beliefs, including Catholicism, voodoo has been historically attacked by other religions. Haiti has suffered from decades of instability but the situation escalated in February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry. Gangs now control 80 per cent of the city. Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the United States and UN, violence has continued to soar. The UN chief called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the weekend massacre and also reiterated calls for more international support to assist Haitian police in their battle against the gangs. More than 700,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti, half of them children; added to this are 5,000 forced from their homes by the weekend massacre, said the International Organization for Migration. The latest killings bring the death toll this year in Haiti to around 5,000 people, according to the United Nations. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Violence against voodoo community in Haiti: Nearly 200 dead in massacre

<p>A palace&nbsp;used as a voodoo site built using the human blood of 41 sacrifice victims was discovered in the city of Abomey, Benin in West Africa.</p>

<p>It is common knowledge that essential materials for construction include cement, mortar, bricks,&nbsp;etc. But researchers say that&nbsp;the people of West Africa&nbsp;added human blood to the list as well. According to research, the walls of the palace are made of red oil and lustral water mixed with human blood. Since&nbsp;41 is a sacred number in voodoo, researchers concluded that the blood of 41 victims was used in the making of the palace.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forest-fires-triggered-by-hezbollah-rockets-spread-through-northern-israel-728774">&nbsp;Forest fires triggered by Hezbollah rockets spread through northern Israel</a></strong></p>

<h2>How did researchers determine there was human blood on palace walls?</h2>

<p>The researchers used high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry to understand the proteins present in the mortar. Moreover, the proteomic results also found traces of immunoglobulins and haemoglobin from humans and chickens present in the walls of the palace.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Israel war: Displaced Israelis wonder if schools will open, forced to leave due to Hezbollah fire</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-war-displaced-israelis-wonder-if-schools-will-open-forced-to-leave-due-to-hezbollah-fire-728829/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2>History behind the palace</h2>

<p>The city of Abomey was ruled by 12 kings between the 17th to early 20th centuries. The king who ruled the city from 1818 to 1858, Ghezo was infamous for his brutal nature.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/congressmans-young-son-lightens-mood-in-the-house-with-funny-antics-728522">Congressman's young son lightens mood in the House with funny antics</a></strong></p>

<p>Based on the research conducted, it is believed that the way to Ghezo's house was paved with the bones and skulls of the enemies he had defeated. Additionally, his throne rested on four skulls of the leaders he had defeated.</p>

<h2>The tale behind the presence of blood</h2>

<p>Studies suggest that the death of the kings of that area was followed by a sacrifice of 500 victims owing to a ritual known as the "Great Customs". Researchers are yet to determine whether the blood found in the walls was from such an event or whether people involuntarily gave up their lives to build the palace.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


A palace used as a voodoo site built using the human blood of 41 sacrifice victims was discovered in the city of Abomey, Benin in West Africa. It is common knowledge that essential materials for construction include cement, mortar, bricks, etc.

A palace used as a voodoo site built using the human blood of 41 sacrifice victims was discovered in the city of Abomey, Benin in West Africa. It is common knowledge that essential materials for construction include cement, mortar, bricks, etc. But researchers say that the people of West Africa added human blood to the list as well. According to research, the walls of the palace are made of red oil and lustral water mixed with human blood. Since 41 is a sacred number in voodoo, researchers concluded that the blood of 41 victims was used in the making of the palace. Also read | Forest fires triggered by Hezbollah rockets spread through northern Israel How did researchers determine there was human blood on palace walls? The researchers used high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry to understand the proteins present in the mortar. Moreover, the proteomic results also found traces of immunoglobulins and haemoglobin from humans and chickens present in the walls of the palace. Watch | Israel war: Displaced Israelis wonder if schools will open, forced to leave due to Hezbollah fire History behind the palace The city of Abomey was ruled by 12 kings between the 17th to early 20th centuries. The king who ruled the city from 1818 to 1858, Ghezo was infamous for his brutal nature. Also read | Congressman's young son lightens mood in the House with funny antics Based on the research conducted, it is believed that the way to Ghezo's house was paved with the bones and skulls of the enemies he had defeated. Additionally, his throne rested on four skulls of the leaders he had defeated. The tale behind the presence of blood Studies suggest that the death of the kings of that area was followed by a sacrifice of 500 victims owing to a ritual known as the "Great Customs". Researchers are yet to determine whether the blood found in the walls was from such an event or whether people involuntarily gave up their lives to build the palace. (With inputs from agencies)

The gory past of a voodoo palace in West Africa with human blood in the walls

Haiti's voodoo leaders have trained priests of the Afro Caribbean religion to concoct a secret remedy for the novel coronavirus and to prepare the sacred initiation chambers of their temples to receive patients.

Haiti voodoo leaders prepare herbal remedies believed to prevent coronavirus

voodoo-community

Voodoo Community, News on Voodoo Community, stories on Voodoo Community, articles on Voodoo Community, Voodoo Community stories at Wion, Voodoo Community news, Voodoo Community latest news