Gangs Control an Estimated 70 Percent of Port-au-prince

At least 30 people were killed in a gang attack on a farming community in Kenscoff, south of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, late Sunday, officials said, as the island nation grapples with a new wave of violence ahead of its first general election in more than a decade. Kenscoff's mayor, Jean Massillon, said armed men "sowed chaos" as they set homes on fire and killed residents. He said gang members targeted a church and homes, including that of Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert.

Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, a group designated as a "foreign terrorist organisation" by the United States government last year. Gangs control an estimated 70 percent of Port-au-Prince. Viv Ansanm has repeatedly targeted Kenscoff, which occupies a strategic position overlooking routes into Petion-Ville, where several embassies, upscale hotels and the temporary seat of government are located.

A United Nations-backed gang suppression force is mandated to help police fight the gangs and restore order, but it has not yet reached its full capacity of 5,500 members. According to the UN, gang violence has displaced 1.5 million people across Haiti. More than 3,100 people were reported killed and 1,189 injured from January to June as gangs continued a reign of terror in Port-au-Prince that sparked international concern last year.

Haiti's prime minister's office on Monday condemned the "heinous attack" and sought to reassure Haitians that security forces were on high alert and reinforcements were being deployed. "Kenscoff will not be abandoned, a statement read. "The government's authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay.

Haitians have been registering to vote in elections planned in January, but experts have warned it's currently too dangerous to hold the vote. The violence has persisted despite efforts to rein it in. The flare-up comes as Haiti hopes to hold its first general election in more than a decade.