Haiti Police Push Into Kenscoff as Kidnapping Fear Grips Port-au-Prince
Key Facts
Haiti’s gangs have pushed from the capital into the farming hills of Kenscoff, leaving a trail of massacres. A new police operation there has given the local mayor a glimmer of hope, Le Nouvelliste reported.
Haiti’s National Police began operations in Kenscoff on the evening of 16 September and continued them through 17 September. Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest daily, cited Mayor Massillon Jean as saying police had made advances on the ground.
Why It Matters Beyond Haiti
Kenscoff is a hillside farming commune above Port-au-Prince, long seen as relatively safe. Gangs have attacked it since January 2025, according to Le Nouvelliste.
In late August 2026, an attack blamed on the Viv Ansanm gang coalition killed at least 47 people, Africanews reported. More than 50 people were kidnapped in that attack, and 25 homes were set on fire.
AP reported on 17 September that rights group RNDDH counted at least 164 dead and over 70 kidnapped in Kenscoff. Its report accused police commanders of passivity and said security in the area had been cut by 60 percent.
Fear in the Capital
A second Le Nouvelliste piece, by Roberson Alphonse, describes rising dread over kidnappings across Port-au-Prince. The article lists schoolchildren seized in Silo, Delmas 33, and a doctor taken with his wife and child in Bourdon.
It also mentions a well-known journalist and three children seized on Friday on their way to school. Juno7 reported that at least five pupils were abducted in Bois-Verna on 18 September, three from one family.
The International Force
UN Security Council Resolution 2793 authorised the Gang Suppression Force on 30 September 2025, capped at 5,550 personnel. Security Council Report said 1,083 military personnel had deployed by 8 July 2026.
The same report said the force began operations on 1 June 2026 but has worked at limited capacity. It expects full operational readiness between October and the end of 2026.
Its mandate expires on 30 September, and Haiti’s foreign minister has called for renewal, Al Jazeera reported. Haiti plans elections on 13 December 2026, its first in a decade.
What Is Not Yet Known
Le Nouvelliste has not reported arrests, casualties or seizures from the Kenscoff operation. It is not clear whether the international force took part or whether police will hold the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Kenscoff?
It is a farming commune in the hills above Port-au-Prince. Gangs have attacked it repeatedly since January 2025.
What is the Gang Suppression Force?
It is an international anti-gang force authorised by the UN Security Council in September 2025. Its current mandate expires on 30 September 2026.
Sources: Le Nouvelliste, PNH steps up operations in Kenscoff, Le Nouvelliste, Port-au-Prince, la peur arpente les heures, Africanews, gangs storm Kenscoff, AP via MyMotherLode, RNDDH report on Kenscoff, Juno7, pupils abducted in Bois-Verna, Security Council Report, Haiti September 2026 forecast, Al Jazeera, Haiti calls for renewal of anti-gang force
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