At least 30 people were killed in an overnight gang attack in Kenscoff, a hillside community overlooking Port-au-Prince, according to the town’s mayor and Haitian human rights groups.
Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said armed men attacked the area late Sunday night into Monday morning, describing the violence as a “night of terror.” He said attackers entered homes, killed residents and set several properties on fire.
The exact death toll remains difficult to confirm because of limited access and communication challenges in the area. Haiti’s National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) estimated that between 30 and 40 people were killed and another 15 to 20 wounded in the attack.
According to local officials, the attackers were members of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition. Homes and a church sheltering people who had already been displaced by earlier violence were reportedly targeted.
Several properties were burned, including the home of Dr. Jean William “Bill” Pape, a prominent Haitian public-health expert and HIV/AIDS researcher who runs an organization providing care to people living with HIV and tuberculosis.
Kenscoff’s location makes the area especially important. The hillside community overlooks routes leading toward Pétion-Ville and roads connecting the capital to southern Haiti. The area has faced repeated attacks since last year, forcing thousands of residents from their homes.
The latest violence has renewed anger over the government’s ability to protect residents. Haiti’s prime minister’s office condemned the attack and said security forces had been placed on high alert, with reinforcements being sent to the area.
The government also said “Kenscoff will not be abandoned” and pledged to restore state authority in the community.
For residents who have already been forced from their homes by Haiti’s ongoing gang violence, Monday’s attack is another reminder of how difficult it remains to find safety—even outside the most heavily affected areas of the capital.
