Port-au-Prince.- The Haitian Police announced this Thursday an investigation into the massacre of at least 47 people perpetrated by armed gangs in Kenscoff, a town located on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, while the Government promised a “firm” response against those responsible.
In a press conference, police commissioner Garry Desrosiers reported that the commander-in-chief of the Haitian National Police, André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, gave instructions for an “immediate” investigation to be carried out regarding what happened.
The UN put the death toll of the massacre at 47 and revealed that twenty-two of them were allegedly executed on the grounds of a church.
Commander Desrosiers did not refer to the alleged kidnapping, which would involve more than sixty people whom the gang leader nicknamed Didi 2 threatens to execute if attacked by the authorities, according to a video released on social media on Tuesday.
The Government orders a “firm” response
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé ordered a “firm response” against the armed gangs responsible for the massacre, following meetings on the eve with the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN) and the General Staff of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
“The Kenscoff massacre will not go unpunished“, stressed the prime minister in a statement released in the last few hours, according to which operational measures were adopted to pursue those responsible, dismantle criminal networks, and regain control of the areas occupied by the gangs.
The meeting with the GSF General Staff served to “update the threat assessment” and “strengthen” coordination between the different armed forces, in order to “end the dominance of armed groups, restore public order, and protect people’s lives“, according to official information.
The GSF is a 5,500-strong force approved by the UN Security Council in September 2025 to combat armed gangs and replaces a similar previous mechanism that achieved meager results.
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The Police express their condolences for the massacre
The Police press conference took place amidst recent criticism of the institution’s efforts to confront armed gangs, including the lack of personnel in Kenscoff, where gang members are also holding dozens of people hostage under threat of death, an alleged kidnapping that reportedly occurred after Monday’s massacre.
At the press conference, the institution took the opportunity to convey its “deepest condolences” to the victims’ families.
“These are situations in which we, from the National Police, never feel comfortable talking about. We, the police, identify with the population,” expressed Desrosiers.
He also pointed out that “it is the criminals” who “kill farmers, the people of the population who live there“, referring to what happened in Kenscoff
Haiti is experiencing a crisis in every aspect, marked especially by insecurity at the hands of armed gangs, which control most of the capital.
According to UN data updated this week, violence in Haiti caused at least 3,050 deaths and 1,401 injuries in the first six months of the year.
