Despite international criticism of the use of "kamikaze" drones in Haiti, compounded by criticism from Canada, which donated drones to Haiti and declared that their lethal use, which began in March 2025, violated Haitian and international law, Fritz Alphonse Jean, President pro tempore of the Presidential Transitional Council, rejected these criticisms and interpretations. He explained that, faced with an under-equipped police force, the government turned to private American companies and drones that explode on impact, and that it had no other means of stemming the gangs' advance. He added that authorities "want to make sure" that the drones are being used legally, and claimed that no collateral damage has been reported, although independent actors are often unable to verify the death toll in urban guerrilla zones.

"We needed this air support so that the police and army could penetrate the areas occupied by the gangs," Jean said. "If that's not a war, I don't know what is."

But some legal experts believe that the gangs are not sufficiently organized for the conflict in Haiti to be called a "war".

For Diego Da Rin, a Haiti analyst at the International Crisis Group, "drones have been a game changer," allowing security forces to strike deep inside heavily defended gang strongholds. "Gang leaders are extremely cautious because of these drone strikes," Da Rin said. He warned, however, that without an intensification of ground operations, the gains would be short-lived.

The kamikaze drone program is led by a task force composed of Haitians and foreign private contractors, under the direction of the Prime Minister, Jean specified, declining to provide further details.

SL/ HaitiLibre