PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — In a shocking turn of events, heavily armed gangs have launched an assault on Kenscoff, a neighborhood that houses many of Haiti’s elite and had managed to remain relatively safe from criminal activity. This attack has resulted in the deaths of at least 40 individuals, prompting the local police to urgently seek assistance to counter the violence.
As Mayor Jean Massillon reported on Monday, the violence has persisted for eight days, attributed to the Viv Ansanm gang coalition. Gunmen have been systematically targeting homes, opening fire indiscriminately. “They have completely surrounded the area,” Massillon stated while calling for additional police reinforcements.
The fatalities include a broad spectrum of residents such as pastors, teachers, and even children. However, this number is likely to rise, as many regions within the neighborhood remain inaccessible to the authorities. Kenscoff is home to numerous politicians and business figures, and the assault has also affected many working-class individuals who engage in farming in the nearby foothills.
Gangs currently hold sway over approximately 85% of Port-au-Prince, and warnings from the United Nations Secretary-General last month suggested that they could entirely take over the capital. The violence in Kenscoff erupted shortly after government and police officials cautioned the public about possible imminent attacks in the city, although they did not specify where these might occur.
Jean Bertho Valmo, a 45-year-old farmer forced to flee his home, shared harrowing accounts of the violence, stating that twelve members of a single family were among those killed. He recounted being jolted awake by gunfire early on Monday morning, prompting him and many others to seek refuge in the yard of the mayor’s office.
“There isn’t enough food and water for everyone,” Valmo lamented, expressing grief over the destruction of his crops, which included cabbage, carrots, and broccoli. “I invested everything I had in them,” he said emphatically. He called for the police and the government to take decisive action to bring an end to this violence.
Since the attack’s inception on January 27, more than 1,660 individuals have been rendered homeless, according to the International Organization for Migration. Gang violence has led to over one million people losing their homes across Haiti in recent years.
In a statement released last Friday, one police union claimed that the incident in Kenscoff could have been avoided had the police been equipped with appropriate resources, including helicopters and all-terrain vehicles, as well as adequate funding for intelligence operations. “Despite these adverse conditions, our policemen continue to make immense sacrifices, but we cannot accept the negligence of those in power regarding the protective measures needed for their safety and that of the population,” stated the police union, SPNH-17.
