Gang raid kills 47 in Haiti as residents demand action
Photo: REUTERS
Armed gangs launched an overnight raid on a hillside community overlooking Port-au-Prince, killing at least 47 people and injuring 22 others, the United Nations announced on Monday.
This latest assault triggered widespread outrage among locals over the lack of security against recurring lethal attacks. United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti cautioned that the casualty figures remain preliminary and could change.
The neighborhood of Kenscoff, which overlooks crucial transport routes into the capital city, has experienced a dozen gang raids since last year, forcing thousands of residents to abandon their homes.
For years, a broad alliance of powerful gangs has consolidated its grip on the capital and expanded control into neighboring areas, despite international efforts to bolster the country’s under-equipped police force.
Haitian human rights organization RNDDH estimated that the attack, which commenced around 10:30 PM local time, killed between 30 and 40 people and wounded another 15-20, though they noted the difficulty of compiling an exact toll.
While the Haitian government condemned the incident as a “heinous attack” and pledged to bolster security measures, angry citizens demanded the resignation of the local police chief, pointing out that officers failed to save lives just minutes away from their station.
On social media, the prime minister’s office declared, “Kenscoff will not be abandoned,”. The office added, “The government’s authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay.”
According to UN estimates, previous gang offensives in Kenscoff over a two-month period in early 2025 claimed more than 260 lives, demolished or incinerated 200 homes, and displaced 3,000 residents. Since then, gangs have carried out nearly a dozen additional attacks involving sexual violence, abductions, arson, and the theft of livestock.
Standing beside his cousin’s corpse, which lay on the street under a blood-spattered sheet, resident Coriolan Kendy remarked, “My family are victims. People in Kenscoff are suffering and the government is to blame.”
Another resident, Orisme, who withheld his surname, implored the prime minister for intervention. He said, “We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us.” Local citizens reported that several dozen police officers attempted to push back the gunmen during the night, resulting in injuries to some officers, though residents did not spot any gang members among the dead.
Local media outlets reported that the attackers set multiple residences ablaze, including the home of Jean William Pape, a prominent public health expert. During a visit to Kenscoff later that day, National Police Chief Vladimir Paraison told reporters, “The police never gave up.”
The community of Kenscoff overlooks key access paths into Petion-Ville - an area housing upscale hotel, several foreign embassies, and the temporary seat of the national government - alongside a major highway connecting the capital to southern Haiti.
The escalating bloodshed may intensify anxieties regarding Haiti’s capacity to organize its first elections in a decade this December. Previous administrations have repeatedly delayed voting as criminal syndicates expanded their territorial control.
UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, which holds a mandate to assist local law enforcement in combating these gangs, plans to expand its deployment to more than 5,500 troops this autumn. A spokesperson did not immediately comment on whether these international forces would deploy to reinforce security in Kenscoff.
Source: Reuters (adapted)
