Port-au-Prince: At least 47 people were killed and 22 others wounded after armed gangs carried out a nighttime assault on Kenscoff, a hillside community overlooking Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, the United Nations said on Monday, Reuters reported.
The UN Integrated Office in Haiti said the reported figures were preliminary and could be revised as authorities continued to assess the scale of the violence.
Kenscoff occupies a strategically important position above routes leading into the capital. The community has faced roughly a dozen attacks by armed groups since last year, driving thousands of residents from their homes.
Gangs operating under a broad alliance have consolidated their control over Port-au-Prince and extended their reach into neighbouring areas. Their influence has continued to grow despite international efforts to strengthen Haiti’s poorly equipped police force.
The Haitian rights organisation RNDDH gave a lower preliminary estimate, saying between 30 and 40 people had been killed and 15 to 20 injured. It said the attack began at approximately 10:30 p.m. local time and that the final death toll remained difficult to establish.
The government condemned the incident as a “heinous attack” and pledged to send additional security forces to the area. But residents, who said the attack happened only minutes from a police station, demanded the removal of the local police chief, accusing officers of failing to protect the neighbourhood.
“Kenscoff will not be abandoned,” the prime minister’s office said on social media. “The government’s authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay.”
Residents Driven From Their Homes
Kenscoff endured a series of attacks during the first two months of 2025. According to UN estimates, more than 260 people were killed, around 200 houses were destroyed or burned and approximately 3,000 residents were forced to leave the area.
The community has suffered nearly a dozen additional attacks since then. Residents have reported cases of sexual violence, abductions, arson and the theft of livestock.
“My family are victims,” said Coriolan Kendy, standing beside the body of his cousin, which had been placed on a road and covered with a blood-stained sheet. “People in Kenscoff are suffering and the government is to blame.”
Another resident, who identified himself only as Orisme, appealed directly to the prime minister for assistance.
“We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us,” he said.
Residents said several dozen police officers attempted to stop the attackers during the overnight assault. Some officers were reportedly injured. They also said that, based on what they had seen, none of the people killed appeared to be gang members.
Local news reports said several properties were torched during the attack, including the home of Jean William Pape, a prominent public health specialist.
“The police never gave up,” national police chief Vladimir Paraison told reporters during a visit to Kenscoff later on Monday.
The community’s elevated location gives it control over routes leading towards Petion-Ville, an area that hosts several embassies, luxury hotels and the government’s temporary headquarters. Kenscoff also overlooks an important road connecting Port-au-Prince with southern Haiti.
The renewed bloodshed is likely to intensify doubts over whether Haiti can organise elections in December. The proposed vote would be the country’s first in 10 years, but successive administrations have repeatedly delayed elections as armed groups expanded their territorial control.
A UN-supported Gang Suppression Force, tasked with assisting Haitian police in confronting the gangs, plans to increase its strength to more than 5,500 personnel this autumn.
A spokesperson for the force did not immediately respond to questions about whether it would provide additional security in Kenscoff.