A coordinated assault by a coalition of armed gangs on the farming community of Kenscoff, located on the hills surrounding Port-au-Prince, resulted in at least 47 fatalities and the kidnapping of more than 50 residents, according to United Nations estimates and multiple news outlets. The violence, which unfolded on Saturday night, also saw dozens of homes set ablaze and livestock torched, prompting a wave of displacement across the area.
Casualties and Kidnappings
The death toll has been reported differently by Haitian officials and international monitors. Mayor Jean-Pierre S. of the commune initially announced that 25 people had been killed, while the United Nations mission in Haiti, as cited by The New York Times and The Guardian, put the figure at 47. AP News and NBC News corroborated the higher estimate, adding that more than 50 individuals were taken hostage during the raid. The hostages remain unaccounted for, and families have been left in a state of uncertainty.
Gang Tactics and Threats
The attackers, identified as members of a powerful gang coalition that has been consolidating control over key transport routes and neighborhoods, employed a range of terror tactics. Witnesses described gunfire followed by systematic arson, with several homes reduced to charred shells. In addition, the gangs reportedly set fire to a local church and livestock pens, a detail highlighted by the Christian Post and Le Monde.fr.
After the assault, a gang leader broadcast a threatening message demanding the release of detained members and warning that the hostages would be executed if his demands were not met. The Guardian quoted the leader’s statement: "If you do not free our brothers, we will kill the hostages one by one." The threat has intensified calls from humanitarian agencies for urgent intervention.
Local authorities, already stretched thin by the ongoing security crisis, have struggled to respond effectively. The Haitian National Police, which have been sidelined in many neighborhoods by the rise of armed groups, were reportedly unable to reach the scene until hours after the attack. International observers, including the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), have condemned the violence and urged the Haitian government to restore order ahead of the upcoming elections, which many fear could be further destabilized by the gangs' growing influence.
"It was a massacre," said a survivor who managed to escape the burning houses, as reported by The Guardian.
The incident follows a pattern of escalating gang violence in the country, where rival factions have increasingly targeted civilian communities to exert territorial control and extract resources. Analysts note that the choice of Kenscoff—a strategic foothold overlooking the capital—signals a deliberate attempt to pressure the government and intimidate the populace.
Humanitarian groups are mobilising emergency aid for the displaced, but access remains limited due to roadblocks and ongoing security threats. The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire and for the safe release of the abducted individuals, warning that further atrocities could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in an already fragile nation.
