Haiti: Gang attack on displaced people at church near capital leaves around 40 dead

Kenscoff mayor Massillon Jean told AFP that around 40 bodies have been counted following the attack, which took place Sunday night in the hills above Haiti's capital. Searches are continuing, as some people remain missing. The mayor described the assault as "a night of terror" in a town that has for months been plagued by gang violence.

According to Jean, the attackers raided a site where a church was sheltering people who had already fled earlier violence. Several victims were executed, dozens were wounded, and some people were abducted by the assailants.

Following the attack, the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime issued a statement expressing deep compassion for the bereaved families and all victims. The government also said reinforcements would be deployed to the area to restore security.

A prolonged crisis

Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of Port-au-Prince, has for several months been the scene of clashes as armed groups seek to expand their territorial control. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has for years been battered by chronic political instability, natural disasters, corruption and violence from powerful gangs responsible for widespread killings, rapes, looting and kidnappings. Gangs control much of the capital.

According to United Nations figures, nearly 1.5 million people are currently displaced in Haiti, a country of about 11 million, and more than five million face severe food insecurity. The crisis deepened in early 2024, when a wave of gang violence forced the country's unelected prime minister to resign. Haiti has held no elections since 2016; its last president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in July 2021 and has not been replaced. A general election is scheduled for December this year.