Brutal gang attack on strategic Haiti hillside leaves at least 30 dead

At least 47 individuals lost their lives and 22 others sustained injuries during an overnight gang raid on a neighborhood overlooking Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince, according to the UN. The UN Integrated Office in Haiti expressed that these figures could still change. The hillside community of Kenscoff, strategically positioned to overlook routes leading into the capital, has been the site of a dozen attacks by armed gangs since the previous year, compelling thousands to evacuate their homes.

Powerful gangs, part of a broad alliance, have for years established their influence over Haiti's capital and expanded to nearby areas, despite foreign nations' efforts to bolster the country's under-equipped police force. Haitian rights group RNDDH estimated the death toll to be between 30 and 40, with 15 to 20 people wounded in the raid, which commenced around 10:30 PM local time. However, assessing a complete tally proved challenging.

As the Haitian government condemned the "heinous attack" and promised to strengthen security, residents demanded that the local police chief resign, alleging that the officers failed to protect the victims who were killed mere minutes away from the police station. The prime minister's office emphasized on social media that Kenscoff would not be abandoned and that the government's authority would be restored "without weakness and without delay."

Kenscoff experienced over 260 deaths and the destruction or burning of 200 homes in attacks that took place over two months in early 2025, according to UN estimates. Additional attacks, including instances of rape, kidnapping, arson, and livestock theft, have occurred since then. Coriolan Kendy, standing by his cousin's body on the road, lamented that "people in Kenscoff are suffering and the government is to blame."

Another resident, Orisme, called for the prime minister's support, expressing the community's humiliation and the government's lack of action.

Some residents claimed that several dozen police officers attempted to resist the armed men during the night, with some sustaining injuries. They added that they were unable to identify any gang members among the deceased. Local media reported that several houses, including the residence of Jean William Pape, a prominent public health expert, were set on fire. The national police chief, Vladimir Paraison, told reporters during a visit to Kenscoff later in the day that "the police never gave up."

Kenscoff overlooks routes leading into Petion-Ville, a region home to several embassies, upscale hotels, and the temporary seat of the government, as well as a major road connecting the capital to southern Haiti. The violence may heighten concerns over Haiti's ability to conduct an election in December, its first in a decade. Successive governments have repeatedly postponed elections due to the expansion of armed gangs' influence.

The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, mandated to assist the police in combating gangs, aims to reach a capacity of more than 5,500 troops this autumn. However, a spokesperson did not respond to questions regarding whether these troops would reinforce security in Kenscoff.