United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned a deadly gang attack in Haiti that left at least 47 people dead, including five children, while more than 50 others were kidnapped.
The attack occurred on Sunday in Kenscoff, a mountainous area on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, in what officials described as one of the largest mass kidnappings recorded in the troubled Caribbean nation in recent years.
A gang leader has also threatened to kill the hostages if members of the Haitian National Police are killed during any attempt to rescue them.
In a video posted on social media, the gang leader said, “If any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them.”
A resident told the Associated Press that his brother, stepmother, stepfather and two cousins were among those abducted.
He said his 16-year-old niece was also kidnapped and raped but later managed to escape.
“I had to run over bodies,” the resident said, recounting his escape. “I can’t sleep knowing all these people died.”
Guterres condemned the attack, saying it underscored the “alarming security conditions” in Haiti and highlighted the urgent need for strengthened domestic and international security efforts.
Through his spokesman, the UN chief called on Haitian authorities to “ensure that those responsible for such attacks are held accountable,” including through specialised judicial units recently established with international support to investigate mass crimes.
Kenscoff is located about 10 kilometres south of Port-au-Prince, at an altitude of approximately 2,000 metres.
The area is regarded as a relatively desirable residential location because of its cooler climate. Its mountainous terrain also gives it strategic importance because of its proximity to key road connections.
Kenscoff is also close to Pétion-Ville, an affluent suburb of the capital that hosts several political institutions, embassies and banks.
The first major attack on Kenscoff occurred in January 2025, followed by sporadic attacks in the mountains surrounding the area.
However, Sunday’s assault was described as the largest attack yet, raising fresh concerns over whether security conditions in Haiti are deteriorating despite efforts to restore stability.
“This is a major political and security test for the government, for the police and for the international mission,” said Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Le Cour said the gang’s threat to execute the hostages presented authorities with a difficult choice.
He argued that failure to intervene could make the government appear to be abandoning the captives, while a rescue operation resulting in deaths could allow the gangs to blame the state.
UN figures released this week showed that more than 3,050 people were killed in Haiti between January and June as gang violence continued to devastate communities across the country.
An estimated 1.5 million people have also been displaced by the violence.
The UN further reported nearly 800 cases of rape and more than 80 kidnappings between April and June alone.
