Gang attack in Kenscoff kills 47 and leaves over 50 kidnapped near Port-au-Prince

At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 kidnapped in a gang attack on the community of Kenscoff near Haiti's capital. A gang leader has threatened to kill hostages if authorities target gang members.

Kenscoff massacre: 47 dead, 50-plus taken hostage in gang assault near Haiti capital

At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped when armed men stormed the hillside community of Kenscoff, above Port-au-Prince, on Sunday, the UN has confirmed. According to theguardian.com, a gang leader subsequently threatened to execute the hostages if Haitian authorities move against gang members in the area.

The gang leader, identifying himself as Izo 2 — a reference to Johnson André, known as Izo, one of Haiti's most powerful gang figures — posted a video on social media directly addressing the director of Haiti's national police, Vladimir Paraison. "Paraison, if any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them," he said, referring to the hostages. He also warned against the use of drones to repel gangs in the area.

Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, described Izo 2 as also going by the name Didi, running what he called "a kind of franchise cell" on behalf of Izo and other gang leaders. "This is a major political and security test — for the government, for the police and for the international mission alike," Le Cour said.

Children among the dead

At least five of the 47 victims were children, according to BINUH, the UN integrated office in Haiti. Kenscoff's mayor, Jean Massillon, confirmed that two government employees were among those killed, including his cousin, who served as part of his security detail.

Members of Viv Ansanm — a gang coalition designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States — also set fire to 25 homes during the attack, Massillon said. He added that gang members were still roaming Kenscoff's periphery in the aftermath.

"The atrocity of this crime reminds us that we have to continue working stronger every day to bring peace to the community," Massillon said. "I'm optimistic that the state will continue working to eradicate the gangs in Kenscoff."

Security claims challenged

The attack landed a blow to recent assertions that security conditions in Haiti were improving. Some survivors accused the government of failing to provide adequate protection ahead of the assault. Haiti's police rejected those accusations.

Le Cour, however, said that if police and armoured vehicles had indeed been deployed in Kenscoff before the attack, the outcome was troubling. "You let the gangs come in even if you had everything in place?" he said.

He also suggested the offensive may have been a deliberate tactical move to stretch the already thin resources of Haiti's police and the UN-backed gang suppression force. "They don't have enough personnel. If you force them to deploy more troops, it would inevitably be at the expense of other areas," he said.

A message ahead of elections

The attack comes as Haiti prepares to hold general elections on 13 December — the first in more than a decade. Le Cour interpreted Sunday's assault as a direct signal to the country's government and security forces. "This is a message to the government and the police that their claims of protection do not match reality. The gangs are saying: when we choose to attack, we can, and we will succeed."

The first significant attack on Kenscoff took place in January 2025, with sporadic incidents in the surrounding mountains since then. Sunday's assault was the largest to date.

Haiti's deepening crisis

Armed groups are estimated to control roughly 70% of Port-au-Prince, as well as large areas in Haiti's central region and beyond. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across the country. UN figures released this week show that more than 3,050 people were killed from January to June, with a further 1,400 injured during the same period.

Source: Google News MT