Haitian Gangs Release Six Children and Seven Women Following Deadly Attack on Kenscoff Community
A gang in Haiti released six children and seven women who were kidnapped during a deadly attack on the Kenscoff community near the capital, Port-au-Prince. The release follows an attack that killed at least 47 people and forced more than 2,600 people to flee their homes.
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UNICEF reported that the released group includes three children under the age of 2, a 7-year-old, and two teenage girls. The release was secured through cooperation between UNICEF and community leaders. The attack occurred late Sunday on Kenscoff, a farming community. A gang leader known as Izo 2 threatened to execute all hostages if police killed any gang members during the push to secure the area. Izo 2 leads an armed group in coordination with other gang leaders, including Izo. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the deployment of a new gang-fighting force. Diplomats from the United States, Panama, and Colombia expressed concern over the violence. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Jennifer Locetta stated that the United States is committed to supporting Haitian-led security efforts. She noted that gang coalitions have publicly stated their goal to prevent Haitian voters from electing representatives in a future election.