Wails and panic swept through Kenscoff on Monday as residents searched for missing relatives following a deadly gang attack on the farming community in the hills above Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Armed men stormed the area late Sunday, setting homes ablaze and killing residents, according to Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon. Authorities said the exact death toll remained unclear because of difficulties reaching the affected areas and disrupted communications.
Residents said the attack erupted without warning, forcing families to flee their homes amid heavy gunfire.
Kenscoff resident Robert Jean said his family escaped to safety after hearing the shooting, but he was unable to locate his brother, Jean Mercidieu. He said repeated attempts to contact him by phone were unsuccessful.
The mayor blamed the attack on members of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, which has repeatedly targeted Kenscoff. The United States has designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation.
Survivors said the attack highlighted the lack of effective security in communities increasingly vulnerable to heavily armed gangs. Farmer Enold Saint Verti said stronger police presence could have prevented the violence.
United Nations figures show that gangs control an estimated 70 per cent of Port-au-Prince, while about 1.5 million people have been displaced by violence across Haiti. The UN has also reported that more than 3,100 people were killed and another 1,189 injured between January and June.
The latest violence comes as Haiti prepares for general elections scheduled for December 13, the country’s first in more than a decade. Voter registration is already underway, but security concerns have raised doubts about whether credible elections can be held across the country.
For the people of Kenscoff, however, the immediate priority is more personal: finding missing loved ones, mourning those killed and surviving in communities increasingly threatened by gang violence.
