Exclusive: Truce working but fragile – former gang mediator

Despite recent deadly gun violence, the man who brokered a truce between warring gangs a year ago has insisted the deal is holding – but warns the situation remains precarious.

Winston IIston Bull Branch, a former Chapman Lane block leader, has told Barbados TODAY exclusively that the truce is working because “the men that were involved in these things before they had the truce — if you look you would see these men are not involved in nothing.”

But he fears the gun violence could escalate and spread across the island if society continues to promote materialism over the value of human life. “We get to the stage where now all of us get real ‘don’t-carish’,” he said. “I think everything come down to greed and  greed and material things, whereby we have been showing more love and respect for our cars and houses than the average human being.”

Branch, an ex-convict and former block leader, said the truce’s future viability depends on all sectors being willing to help stop violence, not just focusing on a few urban communities. He urged ministers beyond just the crime prevention minister to take action in their constituencies.

He also called on police to engage more with people on the streets to understand and prevent issues before they escalate. “Good positive talk and good reasoning must always take control,” he declared.

In the latest slaying, the 16th slaying for the year, Gall Hill, Christ Church resident Zakhir Avion Goodridge, 19, was shot dead and four others injured in a daylight attack while they limed outside the Aberdeen Jones Centre and Market.

Branch lamented a breakdown of community values, with children being exposed to gambling, drinking and other antisocial behaviour. “We got to get a loving injection,” he advised, suggesting corporate Barbados fund community activities.

He proposed reopening community centres, installing lights for night sports, and hosting netball tournaments to give young people positive outlets. “We could win this war you know. We could bring back these children,” he said.

But he expressed concern that heavy-handed crackdowns could be counterproductive if they only targeted specific areas rather than taking an island-wide approach.

“The first thing with this is that it was mostly in The City where they had a few gangs in The City that could not see eye to eye, and it spiral out of control, whereby a lot of innocent people even were losing their lives,” he said.

“Now we do that, and it working…because, if you check what’s going on now, the men that were involved in these things before they had the truce, if you look you would see these men are not involved in nothing. But it come like you would got a serial killer and then you would still find that somebody would come now and try to be a copycat.”

He warned that the violence was now spreading to other parts of Barbados. “So, it spiral out now to the other areas now, whereby you can’t centre on one basic, it must be a whole total thing.”

The community activist said efforts must involve corporate Barbados as well as social, religious and political institutions to be successful. “Corporate Barbados needs to come and help with some of the ideas that Mr Lane and me and other people would like to do,” he urged.

Branch remained hopeful that the cycle of violence could be broken: “We could win this war you know. We could bring back these children. These children missing the real competition. The real competition is sports, taking care of your community, taking care of the elders, having respect.”

He also suggested that the truce could continue to work if funds are provided for wholesome activities including the reopening of those community centres that are closed and have lights installed for night sports.

Branch said: “Even the young ladies. Sometimes the young ladies hurt my heart, because, don’t forget, wherever you see a man you going to see a woman. So, some of them going the wrong way by getting involved with the dangerous talk. So, we have to do things for them too. We got to hold netball tournaments and different little things.”

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb