Haitian Capital Closer To Falling As Gangs Attack Neighborhood Harboring The Country's Elite

The neighborhood where most of Haiti's elite lives, Kenscoff, is under attack by gangs controlling most of the capital, adding to fears that all of Port-au-Prince could fall.

Mayor Jean Massillon told The Associated Press that the attack has been going on for over a week now, and that the neighborhood is currently surrounded. He added that gang members are going from home to home, opening fire indiscriminately.

At least 40 people have reportedly been killed during the attacks. Many victims are people who work in the neighborhood, mostly tending crops on its outskirts. However, authorities expect more as they haven't been able to reach certain areas where politicians and business leaders live.

A police union said the attack could have been avoided if officers "had good equipment." "Despite these bad conditions, our policemen are making tireless sacrifices, but we cannot tolerate the negligence of the authorities on what must be done to protect their lives and the safety of the population," SPNH-17 said in a statement.

The attack is mostly blamed on Viv Ansanm, a coalition of gangs that controls large swaths of the capital and is seeking to become a political party, a bid to gain legitimacy to play a role in the rebuilding of the country.

Gangs are believed to control about 85% of Port-au-Prince at the moment, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning in late January that the city could be completely overrun without further international support.

In a report presented to the UN Security Council, Guterres emphasized the urgency of bolstering Haiti's national police and the multinational force tasked with combating gang violence. "Time is of the essence," he said, adding that further delays could lead to a "catastrophic collapse of national security institutions."

A multinational force led by Kenya currently has over 600 officers on the ground, including 217 Kenyan additional officers who arrived last weekend. Reinforcements include 150 Guatemalans and a team of eight Salvadoran troops, but the total deployment remains far below the anticipated strength of 2,500 officers. Kenya had initially pledged 1,000 officers.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gang violence has surged across Haiti, with more than 5,600 people killed last year alone. The UN reported a 20% rise in killings compared to 2023. Gang activities, including massacres, kidnappings, and sexual violence, have displaced over 1 million people, many of whom are now living in overcrowded, unsanitary shelters. Moreover, the World Food Programme described the situation as the worst hunger emergency in the Western Hemisphere.