Viv Ansanm Gang Coalition Massacres Dozens in Kenscoff Church Attack

Gunmen from the Viv Ansanm coalition — led locally by Johnson "Izo 2" André's 5 Segonn faction — stormed Kenscoff, a hillside farming town roughly 10km southeast of Port-au-Prince overlooking the routes into Pétion-Ville, on the night of Sunday, August 23, 2026. Attackers torched an estimated 25 homes, including that of prominent public-health physician Jean William Pape, and entered a church being used as a shelter for people already displaced by earlier gang violence, executing people inside. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said gang members "sowed chaos" throughout the community and described victims locked inside a house that was then set on fire with them still trapped. Initial reporting on August 24 put the death toll at 30 or more, with dozens abducted, including relatives of surviving residents — one 17-year-old said her mother, father, and eight other family members had been taken. Haiti's prime minister's office condemned the "heinous attack," saying security forces were on high alert and reinforcements were being deployed to the area.