Haiti Gang Attack in Kenscoff Leaves 47 Dead and 50 Kidnapped
- At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped after armed men attacked the mountain community of Kenscoff, Haiti, located in the hills above Port-au-Prince,...
- Sunday's attack on Kenscoff shattered the belief that security in the troubled Caribbean country was improving, according to Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the...
- At least five of the 47 people killed in the violence were children, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH.
At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped after armed men attacked the mountain community of Kenscoff, Haiti, located in the hills above Port-au-Prince, according to the United Nations. The assault, which occurred earlier this week, is widely considered one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years.
Violence Shatters Security in the Hills Above Port-au-Prince
Sunday’s attack on Kenscoff shattered the belief that security in the troubled Caribbean country was improving, according to Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Le Cour noted that the incident serves as a major political and security test for the government, the police, and international missions alike.
At least five of the 47 people killed in the violence were children, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon stated that two government employees were among the dead, including his cousin, who served as his security detail. Massillon added that members of Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, set fire to 25 homes during the raid.
Information about the assault has trickled out slowly, with Mayor Massillon warning that gangs remain active along Kenscoff’s periphery. Armed groups currently control an estimated 70 percent of Port-au-Prince, alongside significant swathes of land in Haiti’s central region and beyond. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across the country.
Hostage Threats and Police Tactics
Following the raid, a gang leader issued a social media video threatening to execute all captured hostages if authorities harm any gang members while attempting to secure the area. The speaker specifically warned Vladimir Paraison, director of Haiti’s National Police, to refrain from using drones to repel gangs in Kenscoff.
“Paraison, if any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them,”
the gang member said in a social media video, referring to the hostages.
The speaker identified himself as Izo 2, a reference to Johnson André, known as Izo, who is recognized as one of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders. According to Le Cour, Izo 2 is also known as “Didi” and operates a franchise cell for other gangs in coordination with Izo and regional leaders.
Le Cour described the threat of executing hostages as a strategic trap for authorities. If security forces do not act, they fail to protect the captives; if they intervene and hostages die, gangs will blame the state. Analysts suggest the primary goal of the attack may be to force the police and the U.N.-backed gang suppression force to stretch their limited personnel by deploying troops away from other vulnerable areas. Alternatively, the raid could serve as a show of force ahead of Haiti’s scheduled general elections on Dec. 13, the first in more than a decade.