Haiti massacre: Gangs kill dozens in Kenscoff, government on high alert

At least twenty people died in a pre-dawn attack by armed gangs in Kenscoff, a commune east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Some local media reports suggest the death toll could be as high as 40. The massacre prompted the Haitian government to place all security forces on maximum alert.

EFE journalists on the ground counted at least twenty bodies scattered in the accessible areas of Kenscoff. The gangs also set fire to several homes and vehicles. Residents took to the streets to protest the lack of protection from security forces.

The government issued a statement expressing solidarity with the victims' families and announcing the deployment of authorities to restore order in Kenscoff. "The government is standing. It does not retreat, it does not compromise, it does not back down. Kenscoff will not be abandoned. Haiti will not be handed over to bandits. The Republic will win," the official note concluded.

Local media reports indicate the victim count may rise as search operations continue. The attack involved intense gunfire and explosions, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. The police intervened to repel the assault, which also left people injured and dozens of homes burned. A church serving as a refuge for displaced people and the home of Dr. William Pape, founder of the Gheskio centers, were among the targets. The gangs, part of the Viv Ansanm armed coalition, aim to solidify their presence in Kenscoff, a strategic area due to its proximity to the Southeast department and Jacmel, which has remained relatively untouched by the violence plaguing much of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

“

The government is standing. It does not retreat, it does not compromise, it does not back down. Kenscoff will not be abandoned. Haiti will not be handed over to bandits. The Republic will win.