On Saturday, a Haitian non-governmental organization reported that at least 50 individuals lost their lives and over 100 homes were set ablaze during an attack by armed groups in the commune of Kenscoff, located in the hills above the capital, Port-au-Prince.

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Gang Violence Leaves Dozens Dead in Haiti

According to a preliminary report from the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), the massacre was carried out on Monday by individuals armed with weapons. “The report is not yet complete; we are still gathering data,” stated Marie Rosy Auguste Ducéna, program manager for the NGO that advocates for and protects human rights in Haiti. The attack also resulted in multiple injuries and displacements.

Reports collected by international agencies indicated that at least twenty people died during the assault last Wednesday. Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune, spokesperson for the police, informed local media that around twenty members of the armed gangs were killed in response to the attack.

The criminal gangs originated from the commune of Carrefour, south of the capital, and moved towards various locations in Kenscoff, including Bellot, Goder, and Le Montcel, areas they aim to control.

Some victims were killed in their homes while others were attacked while working in fields within this rural commune. There are families who lost as many as 12 members. Additionally, numerous houses were set on fire.

In a press conference held last Thursday, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé stated that both the government and police were aware of what was about to happen in Kenscoff. “We were informed about what was going to occur in Kenscoff. The intelligence services of the Haitian National Police (PNH), the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Justice told us there would be a problem,” he said.

The Prime Minister took this opportunity to pay tribute to the victims, recalling that just the morning before he had appointed the newly designated Minister of Public Health to provide medications and assistance to those injured and hospitalized. Fils-Aimé also emphasized that he had ordered the Ministry of Interior to send aid to refugees in the region. “The government’s commitment is clear: security for all Haitians without distinction,” expressed the high-ranking official.

Accompanied by ministers of Justice and Public Security, Interior and Territorial Collectivities, as well as the Secretary of State for Public Security, the Prime Minister visited a base of the Haitian National Police (PNH) on Thursday for a meeting. The government has announced plans to increase security operations with concrete measures against violence hotspots, additional personnel and equipment, and closer coordination between PNH and Haiti’s Armed Forces.

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