A highly publicised truce between rival Sixx and Seven factions in Trinidad and Tobago is prompting fresh calls for peace in Saint Lucia, where similar labels have become associated with rival groups, particularly among young people.
Youth and sports mentor Nehemiah St Jean hopes the reconciliation between Trinidadian artistes KMan and Plumpy Boss will encourage young people in Saint Lucia to consider a different path – one that does not involve violence and retaliation.
“I’m very happy to see where it originated from – deciding that there is actually no winner in this situation,” St Jean said. “Too many lives taken, too many lives gone, even some innocent lives gone as well.”
Over the weekend, the two artistes publicly ended their longstanding feud following peace talks facilitated by Trinidad and Tobago’s Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander. They later appeared together at Summer Stage: The Festival last Saturday – a significant public show of unity after years of rivalry. Earlier this year, Kman 6ixx dropped the “6ixx” in his stage name and now goes only by Kman.
The reconciliation has attracted attention in Saint Lucia, where the Sixx and Seven labels have also been adopted by rival groups.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force has previously acknowledged concerns about gang-related activity, while police and community organisations have intervened in conflicts involving young people associated with the rival Sixx and Seven culture.
St Jean is hoping Saint Lucians who adopted aspects of the culture will also take notice of the peace being demonstrated in Trinidad.
He said Saint Lucia has often been quick to adopt outside influences and expressed hope that the same could happen with the Trinidad truce.
“My honest hope is that we can copycat this as well,” he said. “Copycat the truce and the peace treaty and copycat the fact that they realise that there is space for both of them to shine on the same stage together.”
St Jean believes that message is very important for rival groups here.
“You don’t have to be friends, but we could live peacefully. Saint Lucia is just too small for all of this division,” he said.
His concerns are especially focused on Soufrière, where he said continuing tensions between rival groups have left residents fearful that another violent incident could erupt at any time.
“The entire community, especially in Soufrière right now, is on edge because it just seems like something will happen at any given time, something will escalate, somebody is going to die again,” St Jean said.
He described the involvement of young people as particularly troubling, saying many could have chosen a different path had they received stronger guidance and opportunities.
As someone who has taught, coached and mentored young people in Soufrière, St Jean believes gang involvement can sometimes offer vulnerable young men a sense of belonging.
“A lot of these young men end up in the gangs because the gang members show them the love and attention that they’re not getting elsewhere,” he explained.
St Jean said intervention must extend beyond telling young people to stay away from crime. They must also be given meaningful alternatives and opportunities to build their futures.
He pointed to skills training and sporting programmes as avenues through which young people can be encouraged to pursue legitimate careers and develop their talents.
“We try to keep them occupied in every way that they understand that they can actually gain a living from sports and other activities other than the lifestyle that they want to go down,” St Jean said.
However, he said violence itself is making such interventions more difficult.
Residents, he explained, are increasingly reluctant to attend sporting activities or gather in certain areas because of fears of being caught in gunfire.
“People don’t even want to leave their homes. People don’t want to pass certain streets. They don’t want to be certain places because they fear that a bullet might not be intended for them, but end up hitting them,” St Jean said.
He also rejected the idea that tackling gang violence is solely the responsibility of the government.
“I don’t think it’s just a government thing. I think it’s a whole Saint Lucia, whole community kind of thing,” he said.
According to St Jean, attempts have previously been made to bring rival groups together in Soufrière and establish peace, with tensions easing temporarily before resurfacing.
He said a group currently operating as the Soufrière Crime Prevention Task Force is also examining ways to help restore peace in the community.
For St Jean, the cycle of retaliation demonstrates why there can ultimately be no victor in gang warfare.
“Nobody wins in this situation,” he said, warning that retaliation can eventually place relatives and other innocent people in danger.
St Jean said the consequences also extend beyond shootings, as those caught up in gang rivalries may find themselves unable to move freely, maintain employment or participate normally in community life because of fear of retaliation.
Saint Lucia has also seen organised efforts to broker peace between rival Sixx and Seven groups. In January 2025, community advocacy group Strive brought rival members together in New Village and later expanded its peace initiative to Wilton’s Yard in Castries.
With Trinidad and Tobago now witnessing its own highly publicised reconciliation, St Jean hopes the example will resonate with young people closer to home.
“We really want and hope that maybe that truce from Trinidad can trickle down here and bring the same form of peace down here in Soufrière,” he said.
