Americas — 2026-08-25

Haiti Gang Coalition Attacks Kenscoff Farming Community Killing at Least 30 as Elections Planned for January

BLUFViv Ansanm's reach into Kenscoff, a security corridor above Port-au-Prince, makes Haiti's planned January 2027 national elections very unlikely to proceed on schedule.

A gang coalition attacked Kenscoff, a farming community overlooking Port-au-Prince, late Sunday night, setting homes and a church on fire and killing residents, according to Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon 12. Death toll estimates diverge: Massillon and Reuters cite 30 killed, while the UN's Integrated Office in Haiti put the figure at 47 killed and 22 injured, and Haitian rights group RNDDH estimated 30 to 40 dead and 15 to 20 wounded 234. Massillon attributed the attack to Viv Ansanm, a gang alliance the US government designated a foreign terrorist organization last year, and said the raid, which began around 10:30 p.m. local time, targeted homes including that of public health expert Jean William Pape 14. Haiti's prime minister's office condemned the assault as "heinous" and pledged reinforcements, while residents in Kenscoff called for the local police chief's removal, saying officers failed to prevent the killing near the police station 234.

Analysis
The killing of at least 30 people in Kenscoff, with a Pape family residence among the targets, demonstrates Viv Ansanm's capacity to strike elite and diaspora-linked figures beyond its Port-au-Prince strongholds, deepening pressure on an already depleted police force. National elections by the end of January 2027 are very unlikely to proceed on schedule, an assessment carrying high confidence given the gang's demonstrated reach into a security-sensitive corridor and the persistent gap between the UN-backed suppression force's mandate and its fielded strength. Continued attacks on communities overlooking Petion-Ville raise the risk of encroachment toward the diplomatic quarter, straining the reinforcements Port-au-Prince has pledged.
4 sources
  1. Violence flares in Haiti as gang attack kills 30 people - Al Jazeera
  2. Gang attack near Haiti's capital leaves 30 dead - Reuters
  3. Haitian mayor says 30 people killed in violent weekend attacks - CBC News
  4. Gang attack in Haitian town of Kenscoff leaves at least 30 dead - The Globe and Mail

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