Gang massacre in Kenscoff: at least 40 dead in night-time attack in Haiti
Armed members of the Viv Ansanm gang killed dozens of people in a suburb of Port-au-Prince and stormed a church. The violence highlights the ongoing security crisis in Haiti.
Gang massacre in Kenscoff shakes Haiti
Around 40 people were killed in a night-time raid by armed gang members in the Haitian suburb of Kenscoff, as reported by ORF on Monday. Mayor Jean Massillon confirmed the death toll to news agency AFP, but pointed out that access difficulties and communication problems made a final count impossible. Other local media outlets and the UN spoke of up to 47 deaths.
"They executed several people," said Massillon. In addition to the dead, there were dozens of injured, several people were still missing, and some had been abducted. The search for survivors was ongoing.
Church housing displaced persons stormed
Kenscoff lies approximately ten kilometres south of the capital Port-au-Prince and long been regarded as a comparatively peaceful residential area. In the night of Monday, the attackers, according to radio station Tele Galaxie, attacked the centre of the agricultural community, set numerous houses on fire and stormed a church in which displaced persons were sheltering. Police ultimately managed to drive back the attackers and regain control of the area.
Mayor Massillon blamed members of the Viv Ansanm gang for the attack. The US government had classified the group as a foreign terrorist organisation the previous year. Residents called on Monday for the resignation of the local police chief and stated that officers had failed to protect people who were killed just minutes away from the police station.
Transitional government calls it a "heinous assault"
The Haitian transitional government confirmed the attack but gave no death toll. It described it as a "heinous criminal assault". Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime expressed his "deepest sympathy" to the families of the victims. Security forces had been placed on high alert and reinforcements deployed.
According to local reports, a similar attack with over 100 deaths and thousands displaced had already occurred in the region in July. Armed groups have been clashing in Kenscoff for months, attempting to expand their influence in the area.
International security mission with limited effect
Haitian security forces are currently operating against gangs throughout the country with support from an international UN force and a private US military company. The so-called Gang Suppression Force (GSF) has been in operation since June. The UN force aims to reach a strength of over 5,500 personnel by autumn. A spokesman did not answer whether the troops would also strengthen security in Kenscoff.
The "Haitian Times" writes that the attack illustrates the difficulties facing Haitian authorities in curbing armed groups — despite intensified security operations and the GSF deployment. Previously achieved successes remained fragile, as gangs continued to control large parts of the capital and its surroundings.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the recent acts and called on local authorities to "ensure that those responsible for such attacks are held accountable".
Nearly 20,000 dead since 2021
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, Haiti has had no head of state. The power vacuum that emerged was rapidly filled by criminal gangs. According to the UN, nearly 20,000 people have been killed throughout the country since then. In just the first six months of this year, 3,100 people were killed by gang violence, around 1,200 others were injured and almost 100 were abducted.
Approximately 1.5 million Haitians have been displaced. Those remaining in the country often live in extreme poverty and suffer from shortages of food, water and medicine. The UN describes gangs as groups that kill, rape, terrorise, set buildings on fire, recruit children and infiltrate all levels of society. Sexual violence is deliberately used to intimidate, oppress and punish the population.
December election at stake
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. In the Caribbean republic with nearly twelve million inhabitants, elections are scheduled to take place on 13 December for the first time since 2016. According to the "Haitian Times", the electoral process including voter registration had already begun, but the security situation continued to pose a major obstacle.
The Organisation of American States (OAS) also recently warned that Haiti's security forces would need additional personnel, equipment and financial resources to create the conditions for an election. The attack on Kenscoff is likely to make this endeavour even more difficult.
Source: ORF