From Aug. 23 to 24, more than 50 people were kidnapped, and 47 people were killed in an attack in Haiti’s Kenscoff commune. 

Starting at 10:30 p.m. and lasting through the next morning, the Viv Ansam gang terrorized the community, kidnapping people and setting animals and homes ablaze. Their primary target was the Evangelical church Ark of the New Testament.

Dozens of families who were displaced by ongoing violence within Port-au-Prince, the capital city, were hiding in the church’s prayer center. According to a statement from the secretary general, at least 22 people were executed within the church’s walls. 

“The Haitian government expresses its deep condolences to the grieving families and to all victims of the heinous criminal attack committed in Kenscoff,” Haitian authorities said in a statement. “But let us not be mistaken: this mourning is also a challenge. And in response to this challenge, the government responds with the force of the law and the legitimate exercise of public power.” 

According to the U.N., Viv Ansam and several rival gangs are fighting for control within the capital city and have displaced more than 18,000 residents thus far. They are now forcing their influence into surrounding regions — Viv Ansam has been assaulting nearby agricultural communities since 2025. 

“This recent event is yet another example of how gangs rely on large-scale killings of civilians to subdue the local population and establish their authority,” María Fernanda Aroch of Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) said. 

Amnesty International responded to the tragedy, calling on the government to put an end to the violence and increase its protection for its citizens. 

“Sadly, we are once again witnessing another massacre in Haiti,” said Astrid Valencia, deputy regional director for Research for the Americas. “We urge the Haitian authorities and the international community to redouble their efforts to protect people from the escalating violence by armed gangs.” 

As the country mourns, local Christians are standing strong in the face of increasing violence, offering hope to the hopeless. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami talked with OSV News, sharing a conversation he had with Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince, president of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference. Mésidor declared, “The Church has to continue its mission in good times and bad.” 

Story by Bella Agnello 

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