Haiti rights group says 164 people killed in two Kenscoff gang attacks 

PORT-AU-PRINCE — At least 164 people were killed and 23 others injured during the two brutal gang attacks in Kenscoff in July and August, according to a report released Sept. 16 by the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH).

The rights group said 71 people were also kidnapped during the attacks, while dozens of homes and vehicles were burned. Victims included women, children, elders and people with physical or sensory disabilities.

RNDDH said the first attack, in early July, could not be definitively linked to advance planning based on the evidence its investigators collected. But the group said the Aug. 23-24 attack showed signs of extensive preparation by armed groups affiliated with the Viv Ansanm coalition.

“People of all ages, whether living with motor or sensory disabilities or not, were killed,” RNDDH said in its report. “After losing everything, hundreds of families had to seek refuge with relatives or in shelters for internally displaced people.”

The report sharply criticized Haitian authorities, particularly the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN), for what RNDDH described as failures to adequately protect residents of Kenscoff, in the mountain above Port-au-Prince, despite repeated security threats.

Police presence reduced before planned attacks

The Haitian human rights organization reported that specialized police units deployed to Kenscoff were gradually withdrawn during 2026, reducing the number of officers assigned to monitor access points into the commune by about 60%.

The RNDDH said authorities had reinforced security in Kenscoff in November 2025 after repeated gang incursions. But it said members of specialized units, including the Anti-Gang Tactical Unit (UTAG), were later withdrawn for reasons that remained unclear.

RNDDH said the reduction in personnel left some positions unguarded and created openings that armed groups exploited.

The organization also said a police armored vehicle stationed in the Kafou Malè area was moved shortly before the August attack because of a shortage of personnel, further weakening the security perimeter.

The rights group said the local police had warned authorities about the risk of another attack.

On July 27, the Kenscoff police station requested two additional armored vehicles from the West-1 Departmental Directorate of the Haitian National Police ( PNH), according to RNDDH. The station later requested additional operational support, but the organization said neither request was adequately addressed before the August attack.

RNDDH said its investigators found several indications that the Aug. 23-24 attack had been carefully planned.

The report detailed how armed groups used surveillance drones and scouts to monitor security forces and identify routes into Kenscoff. Five days before the attack, RNDDH said, several gang members and local accomplices allegedly entered the mountainous area of Villier to observe roads, gather information and report on police movements.

The attackers struck multiple areas, while residents faced killings, kidnappings, sexual violence and the destruction of homes and vehicles.

The organization also reported sexual violence, including the rape of a 12-year-old girl.

The attacks forced hundreds of families to flee their homes and seek shelter with relatives or in facilities housing internally displaced people.

On Aug. 28, gangs claiming responsibility for the violence released several hostages, including children, to community leader Luckson “Frè Luckson” Jean with assistance from UNICEF. Other kidnapped people remained missing, RNDDH said.

RNDDH’s findings are based on its investigation into the July and August attacks. The organization did not independently establish allegations concerning the planning of the August attack or the conduct of security forces.

Kenscoff remains under threat

The two recent attacks were not the first major gang assaults on Kenscoff. RNDDH said armed groups affiliated with Viv Ansanm first launched deadly attacks on the commune in January 2025, leaving at least 139 people dead or missing.

Since then, the organization said armed groups have sought to expand their presence across several areas of the commune, all less than 10 miles from Port-au-Prince, including Belot, Bongard, Bwa Majò, Chauffard, Godet and Kafou Bèt.

RNDDH also pointed to another attack in the Viard 1 and Viard 2 areas during the night of Sept. 13-14, shortly before the publication of its report. The attack underscored the continuing threat to residents, the organization said.

“These episodes of violence illustrate, if there were any need, the persistent capacity of the criminal coalition Viv Ansanm to plan and carry out repeated offensives against the civilian population,” the organization said.

Advocates called on state authorities to take measures to protect civilians in Kenscoff and throughout Haiti and to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attacks.

“The RNDDH considers it urgent that state authorities take all necessary measures to protect the Haitian population in general and the population of Kenscoff in particular,” the report concluded.

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