September 2026 - Haiti Monthly Situation Brief
Flyover of Kenscoff and surrounding areas. Created by Haiti Policy House
Executive Assessment
Security deteriorated during the reporting period. While operations limited gang activity in parts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince, violence escalated in Kenscoff and other outlying areas. The August 23–24 massacre and mass abduction in Kenscoff exemplified this trend. The United Nations confirmed at least 47 fatalities, including five children, and over 50 abductions, with approximately 150 armed individuals involved. Community mediation supported by UNICEF secured the release of six children and seven women, though dozens remained captive according to the latest reliable reports.
Kenscoff illustrates the evolving armed threat. Gang networks are expanding beyond urban bases by establishing small rural cells, using mountain routes, conducting reconnaissance, and securing local footholds. Didi, also known as Izo 2, leads 5 Segond-linked groups in the Kenscoff hills. Reports indicate these groups use ravines and elevated terrain to bypass fixed security positions. Grand Ravine, Canaan, and Ti Bwa elements have also operated in the commune.
The armed neighborhood groups, also known as “Brigades”, have assumed a larger role in Kenscoff and Thomassin. The Brigade Communale de Kenscoff, or BRICK, has supported police and task-force operations, and Kenscoff brigadiers have fought Viv Ansanm directly. TPP, or Thomassin Pap Peri, operates farther north around Thomassin. Viv Ansanm has repeatedly attacked areas around Thomassin 32 and Thomassin 48, although a firefight involving TPP identified by name has not yet been independently….