Violence flares in Haiti as gang attack kills 30 people

What the report says

At least 30 people were killed in Haiti after a gang coalition attacked a farming community in Kenscoff, south of Port-au-Prince, late on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing local officials. The violence included homes being set on fire and residents being killed, and the mayor said a church and several houses were targeted. The attack has added to a broader surge in insecurity across the country.

The report said the mayor of Kenscoff blamed members of Viv Ansanm, a gang alliance that the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year. Kenscoff is strategically important because it overlooks routes toward Pétion-Ville, an area that includes embassies, hotels and the temporary seat of government. Al Jazeera also reported that gangs control about 70 percent of Port-au-Prince.

The killings come as Haiti is trying to prepare for its first general election in more than a decade. The United Nations-backed gang suppression force has been tasked with supporting police, but it has not yet reached its full planned strength. The UN says gang violence has displaced 1.5 million people nationwide. Al Jazeera noted that Haiti’s authorities condemned the attack and said security forces were being reinforced.

More broadly, the article places the latest assault in the context of continuing gang violence, mass displacement and growing doubts about whether elections can be held safely in the near term.