By Harold Isaac and Ives Surin
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug 24 (Reuters) – At least 30 people were killed in an overnight gang raid on a neighborhood overlooking Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, the town’s Mayor Jean Massillon said on Monday, prompting anger over lack of protection from repeated deadly attacks.
The hillside community of Kenscoff, in a strategic position overlooking routes into the capital, has suffered a dozen attacks by armed gangs since last year, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Powerful gangs under a broad alliance have for years cemented their influence over Haiti’s capital and expanded to nearby regions, despite attempts by foreign nations to reinforce the country’s outgunned police.
Haitian rights group RNDDH estimated 30 to 40 people were killed and 15 to 20 wounded in the raid, which began around 10:30 p.m. local time, but said it was difficult to assess a complete tally.
Even as Haiti’s government decried a “heinous attack” and promised to reinforce security, residents demanded the local police chief step down, saying officers failed to protect people killed just minutes from the police station.
Haiti’s national police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“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.”
FORCED TO FLEE KENSCOFF
Attacks in Kenscoff over two months in early 2025 saw more than 260 people killed and 200 homes destroyed or set on fire, forcing 3,000 people to flee, according to U.N. estimates.
Nearly a dozen more attacks have taken place since, including rapes, kidnapping, arson and livestock theft.
“My family are victims,” said Coriolan Kendy, standing by his cousin’s body, lying on the road in a blood-stained sheet. “People in Kenscoff are suffering and the government is to blame.”
Another resident, Orisme, who did not share his last name, pleaded for the prime minister’s support. “We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us,” he said.
Some residents said several dozen police had tried to rebuff the armed men during the night, and some were injured. They added that they did not identify gang members among the dead.
Local media said several houses were set on fire, including the home of Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert.
Kenscoff overlooks routes into Petion-Ville — home to several embassies, upscale hotels and the temporary seat of government — as well as a major road from the capital into southern Haiti.
The violence may deepen concerns over Haiti’s ability to hold an election in December, its first in a decade. Successive governments have repeatedly postponed elections as armed gangs have expanded their influence.
The U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force, which is mandated to help police fight gangs, aims to reach a capacity of more than 5,500 troops this autumn.
A spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions on whether the troops were reinforcing Kenscoff security.
(Reporting by Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince, Ives Surin and Patrice Noel in Kenscoff; Writing by Sarah Morland and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Iñigo Alexander, Natalia Siniawski and Bill Berkrot)
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