Haiti has been shaken by a brutal massacre as heavily armed gangs launched an attack on an affluent neighbourhood, resulting in the deaths of at least 40 people.
Mayor Jean Massillon reported that the Kenscoff neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince, which is home to many of the country’s elite, has been under siege for the past eight days. Armed gunmen have been going door-to-door, indiscriminately shooting at civilians.
Massillon attributed the attack to the violent Viv Ansanm gang coalition, which controls large parts of the Haitian capital. “As we speak, they have surrounded the area,” Massillon said, calling for reinforcements.
Among the deceased are pastors, teachers, and children, although the death toll is expected to rise as authorities have been unable to reach certain areas of the neighbourhood, which also houses many politicians and business leaders. Many of the victims are working-class individuals who cultivate crops in the nearby foothills.
With gangs controlling 85% of Port-au-Prince, the United Nations Secretary-General recently warned that they may soon overrun the entire capital.
The assault on Kenscoff occurred just days after the government and police issued warnings about possible attacks in the city, though the specific locations were not disclosed.
Jean Bertho Valmo, a 45-year-old farmer who fled Kenscoff, shared with the Associated Press that 12 members of one family were killed in the violence.
He recounted waking to gunfire early Monday morning and seeking shelter in the mayor’s office yard with dozens of others.
“There is not enough water and food for everyone,” Valmo said, adding that he had lost all his crops, including cabbage, carrots, and broccoli. “I invested everything I had in them. The police and the government need to stop this.”
The attack, which began on January 27, has displaced over 1,660 people, according to the International Organization for Migration. Overall, gang violence has left over 1 million people homeless across Haiti in recent years.
On Friday, a police union remarked that the attack on Kenscoff “could have been avoided” if the police had better resources, including helicopters and all-terrain vehicles, as well as adequate funding for intelligence gathering.
The union, SPNH-17, expressed frustration, stating: “Despite these difficult conditions, our policemen are making tireless sacrifices, but we cannot tolerate the negligence of the authorities in ensuring the safety of their lives and the population.”
