PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Armed gangs in Haiti have launched assaults on a neighborhood typically inhabited by the nation’s elite, a location that had previously experienced relative peace from criminal activities. In the course of these attacks, which have now lasted more than a week, a minimum of 40 lives have been lost, prompting police officials to call for urgent assistance to combat the violence.
Mayor Jean Massillon reported on Monday that the ongoing turmoil in Kenscoff is attributed to the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, whose members reportedly invaded homes, firing weapons indiscriminately. “While we are addressing this situation, we find ourselves surrounded,” he indicated while requesting additional reinforcements.
Among the deceased are local pastors, teachers, and children, although experts predict the real numbers may be higher due to inaccessible regions of the neighborhood, which is known to house numerous politicians and business executives. Many victims consist of lower-income residents who tend to crops on the nearby outskirts, located at the base of a mountain range.
The prevalence of gangs has reached alarming levels in Port-au-Prince, with estimates suggesting that they exert control over 85% of the capital. Recently, the United Nations secretary-general cautioned that these groups might completely overrun the city.
Just days prior to the Kenscoff attacks, the government and police had issued warnings about potential assaults in the capital, though the warnings lacked specific details regarding the targeted areas. Jean Bertho Valmo, a 45-year-old farmer who escaped from Kenscoff, shared his heartbreak, revealing that 12 individuals from a single family were among the deceased.
He recounted waking up to the sound of gunfire early Monday morning and seeking refuge in the yard of the mayor’s office, along with numerous others. “There’s not enough water or food for everyone,” he stated, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of his crops, including cabbage, carrots, and broccoli. “I had invested everything I had in them,” he lamented, adding a plea for police and government intervention to curtail the violence.
The violence in Kenscoff, which began on January 27, has resulted in over 1,660 people being rendered homeless, according to a report from the International Organization for Migration. In total, gang-related violence has displaced more than one million individuals across the nation in recent years.
On Friday, a police union asserted that the incidents in Kenscoff might have been preventable had law enforcement been adequately equipped, including access to helicopters and all-terrain vehicles, along with sufficient funding for intelligence gathering. They emphasized the relentless efforts of police in dire circumstances while underscoring the urgent need for governmental responsibility in protecting both the officers and the civilian population.
