Gang attack near Haiti’s capital kills 47 people
In the mountainous Kenscoff area near Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, 47 people were killed and another 22 were injured in an overnight attack by an armed gang, according to media reports. The raid began at around 10:30 p.m. local time on Monday.
This was reported by ABC News Australia. At the same time, the Haitian human rights organization RNDDH preliminarily estimated the death toll at 30–40 people and the number of injured at 15–20. It stressed that determining the final number of victims is difficult.
Residents demand a police response
Residents of Kenscoff called on the local police chief to resign. According to them, law enforcement officers failed to protect people who were killed just minutes away from the police station. Some residents said that several dozen police officers tried to repel the attack by armed men during the night, and some officers were injured.
National Police chief Vladimir Paraison, after visiting Kenscoff, told journalists that the police had not stopped resisting. Haiti’s government called the attack brutal and promised to strengthen security in the area. The prime minister’s office stated that Kenscoff would not be left without protection and that state control would be restored without delay.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
A series of attacks in Kenscoff
Since last year, Kenscoff has suffered about a dozen attacks by armed gangs, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. According to a UN estimate, more than 260 people were killed in attacks in the area over two months at the beginning of 2025, while 200 homes were destroyed or burned. Since then, nearly ten more attacks have occurred there, with reports of rape, kidnappings, arson, and livestock theft.
Local media reported that several homes were set on fire during the latest raid, including the residence of public health specialist Jean William Pape. Kenscoff is located above the routes to Pétion-Ville, where embassies, expensive hotels, and the government’s temporary place of residence are located, as well as near the main road from Port-au-Prince to the south of the country.
The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, which is meant to help police fight gangs, plans to increase its strength to more than 5,500 personnel. Its representative did not immediately answer whether the force was strengthening security in Kenscoff.
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