New Gang Offensive in Kenscoff: Haitian National Police Struggling Amid Increasing Pressure

Last weekend, the commune of Kenscoff was the scene of a law enforcement operation that ended in failure. An officer lost his life during clashes with heavily armed terrorists, deployed in several localities. An armored vehicle was also set on fire, and exchanges of gunfire caused injuries among the civilian population. Despite the efforts made, specialized units of the Haitian National Police (PNH) have not managed to repel the gangs controlling several sections of the commune. Testimonies from prominent figures and local authorities indicate that the PNH is struggling to locate the hideouts used by the gangs, who constantly adopt new strategies to attack the population before quickly retreating. These offensives have led to the displacement of dozens of families, fearing reprisals. Many people, victims of violence such as murders, rapes, and assaults, are trying to return to neighborhoods like Belot, Bonga, Soucaille, Gode, and Guédon, without any guarantee of security from the PNH. Faced with this dramatic situation, the population is desperately calling on the PNH to intensify its presence in remote localities and downtown, in order to re-establish genuine control over a commune where fear and despair are settling among almost all residents. Jacques Innocent