At least 47 people have been killed and more than 50 kidnapped after armed gangs attacked Kenscoff, a once-peaceful community in the hills above Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, the United Nations has said.
The attack, which took place on Sunday, is believed to be one of Haiti’s largest mass kidnappings in recent years. A gang leader has threatened to kill the hostages if security forces kill any gang members during operations to reclaim the area.
In a video shared on social media, the gang leader displayed some of the hostages and issued a warning to Vladimir Paraison, director of Haiti’s National Police, over the use of drones against gangs operating in Kenscoff.
“Paraison, if any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them,” he said, referring to the hostages. The man identified himself as Izo 2, a name believed to reference Johnson André, popularly known as Izo, one of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders.
The attack has left families devastated. Seventeen-year-old Kenscoff resident Kenson Paul said his father, mother and six other relatives were abducted. His 16-year-old sister was also kidnapped and raped but later escaped through a window.
“I hope the state can help everyone come back home. We are just farmers. We are not involved in anything,” Paul said.
The assault has raised fresh concerns over Haiti’s security situation, particularly as the country prepares for general elections scheduled for December 13, its first national election in more than a decade. Kenscoff experienced its first major gang attack in January 2025, followed by sporadic violence in the surrounding mountains. Sunday’s assault was the largest recorded attack on the community.
According to the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH, at least five children were among the 47 people killed. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said two government employees were also killed, including his cousin, who worked as part of his security detail.
Massillon said members of Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States, also torched about 25 homes. He warned that armed gangs were still active on the outskirts of Kenscoff.
“Gangs have killed many people in their homes,” Massillon said. “In one instance, gang members locked people inside a house and set it on fire with them still inside.”
Some survivors accused the government of failing to provide adequate protection before the assault, allegations rejected by Haiti’s National Police.
Gang groups currently control an estimated 70 per cent of Port-au-Prince as well as large areas of Haiti’s central region and other parts of the country.
The worsening violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people. UN figures released Tuesday showed that more than 3,050 people were killed and about 1,400 injured across Haiti between January and June. At least 81 people were also reported kidnapped during the same period, underscoring the scale of the country’s deepening security and humanitarian crisis.
