# AYITI INTEL - DAILY

**Date:** 2026-02-23
**Language:** EN
**Pages:** 11

---

## Table of Contents

- [EXECUTIVE SUMMARY](#executive-summary)
- [QUICK SUMMARY FOR STAKEHOLDERS](#quick-summary-for-stakeholders)
- [DEVELOPMENT 1: TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR TARGETED: NATCOM AMBUSH IN](#development-1-telecommunications-sector-targeted-natcom-ambush-in)
- [HISTORICAL CONTEXT](#historical-context)
- [TALKING POINTS](#talking-points)
- [RECOMMENDED DECISIONS](#recommended-decisions)
- [DEVELOPMENT 2: ARTIBONITE REINFORCEMENT: SIX ARMORED VEHICLES DEPLOYED TO](#development-2-artibonite-reinforcement-six-armored-vehicles-deployed-to)
- [HISTORICAL CONTEXT](#historical-context)
- [TALKING POINTS](#talking-points)
- [RECOMMENDED DECISIONS](#recommended-decisions)
- [DEVELOPMENT 3: LEOGANE RARA BAN AND SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS OF](#development-3-leogane-rara-ban-and-socioeconomic-indicators-of)
- [HISTORICAL CONTEXT](#historical-context)
- [TALKING POINTS](#talking-points)
- [RECOMMENDED DECISIONS](#recommended-decisions)
- [DEVELOPMENT 4: NATIONAL PACT POLITICAL RECEPTION AND ELECTORAL DECREE](#development-4-national-pact-political-reception-and-electoral-decree)
- [HISTORICAL CONTEXT](#historical-context)
- [TALKING POINTS](#talking-points)
- [RECOMMENDED DECISIONS](#recommended-decisions)
- [WHAT TO WATCH NEXT](#what-to-watch-next)
- [NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS](#next-24-to-48-hours)
- [THIS WEEK](#this-week)
- [STRATEGIC HORIZON](#strategic-horizon)
- [PRIMARY SOURCES](#primary-sources)

---


## EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Haiti's security environment deteriorated sharply on February 22-23, 2026, with armed actors
targeting critical telecommunications infrastructure in Kenscoff, killing two Natcom employees in an
ambush. Simultaneously, authorities reinforced the Artibonite Department with six armored vehicles
for PNH operations, signaling institutional awareness of expanding gang pressure in that corridor.
The transitional governance framework faces continued stress as National Pact dynamics generate
mixed political responses, while the CEP's re-circulation of the electoral decree signals an attempt
to reaffirm procedural authority. The convergence of infrastructure targeting, security force
reinforcement, and political uncertainty over the Pact's legitimacy defines the immediate operational
environment for all stakeholder categories.



## QUICK SUMMARY FOR STAKEHOLDERS

Two Natcom telecommunications employees killed in armed ambush in Kenscoff, with a third
wounded.
Six armored vehicles deployed to Artibonite PNH Directorate to counter armed group activity.
Leogane municipal authorities suspended all Rara festivities for the 2026 season citing security
conditions.
CEP re-circulated revised electoral decree and calendar in official journal, reaffirming procedural
continuity.
National Pact political reception remains contested; full party-by-party validation incomplete
pending source access.



## DEVELOPMENT 1: TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR TARGETED: NATCOM AMBUSH IN

KENSCOFF
Two employees of Natcom, Haiti's state telecommunications operator, were killed and a third
wounded in an ambush at Morne Tranchant in the Kenscoff commune on February 22, 2026. The
employees were traveling to deliver supplies to a company site when armed actors intercepted their
vehicle. This event constitutes a direct attack on critical national infrastructure and signals a
deliberate or opportunistic targeting pattern that extends armed group operational pressure into
zones previously considered secondary to the main Port-au-Prince theater.
The operational significance of this attack exceeds the immediate casualty toll. Natcom provides
core telecommunications services across Haiti, and maintenance of infrastructure in mountain
zones such as Kenscoff requires consistent supply chain movement. If operators respond by
reducing or suspending field logistics, connectivity degradation in those areas becomes a
near-term operational risk for NGOs, businesses, and government entities relying on those nodes.
The precedent of targeting telecom personnel also raises the threat calculus for other utility sector
February 23, 2026

workers operating in conflict-adjacent communes.
The attack triggered alert threshold criteria under the Major Gang Attack on Operational and
Business Target category. No official MSS or PNH operational response specific to the Kenscoff
ambush was confirmed within the 24-hour window. Cross-verification via Le Nouvelliste and
AlterPresse for full incident detail confirmation remains pending as of brief compilation time.
From a systemic standpoint, this incident extends the geographic footprint of operational
insecurity. Kenscoff's position in the hills above Port-au-Prince makes it a logistics node for
the broader metropolitan zone, and armed group capability to sustain ambush operations in
that terrain indicates a level of territorial confidence that carries implications for corridor
security assessments.



## HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Kenscoff has experienced periodic armed group incursions since 2022, with the BINUH issuing
flash reports on violence in the commune. Natcom infrastructure has previously faced disruption
due to general insecurity but targeted killing of employees represents an escalation in the pattern of
critical infrastructure pressure. Armed actors in Haiti have systematically tested the limits of
tolerated operational space throughout the transition period.



## TALKING POINTS

Natcom ambush at Morne Tranchant killed two employees and wounded one on February 22, 2026.
Attack meets trigger threshold for major gang assault on operational and business infrastructure.
Telecom maintenance logistics in Kenscoff zone face elevated threat of operational suspension.
Cross-verification with Le Nouvelliste and AlterPresse pending for full incident confirmation.
No confirmed PNH or MSS tactical response to this specific incident within 24-hour reporting cycle.
Geographic extension of armed actor pressure into mountain communes signals expanding
operational confidence.



## RECOMMENDED DECISIONS

NGO operations managers should reassess movement protocols for supply chain staff operating in
Kenscoff and adjacent mountain communes.
Telecom-dependent organizations should audit backup connectivity options in case Natcom service
degradation occurs in affected zones.
February 23, 2026

Business continuity planners should flag the Kenscoff incident as a data point in ongoing
threat-level reviews for suburban and peri-urban corridors.
International organizations should monitor whether BINUH or PNH issue formal incident
assessments that could inform humanitarian access corridor classifications.
Diplomatic and security attachés should request confirmation from PNH or MSS on whether the
ambush reflects an isolated incident or organized targeting of utility sector personnel.
CONFIDENCE
Moderate confidence based on partial institutional reporting.



## DEVELOPMENT 2: ARTIBONITE REINFORCEMENT: SIX ARMORED VEHICLES DEPLOYED TO

PNH DIRECTORATE
The Artibonite Departmental Police Directorate received six armored vehicles to support ongoing
PNH operations against armed groups in the department as of the February 22-23 reporting cycle.
The mayor of Montrouis, Blaise Elysee, was cited welcoming the arrival of the vehicles, indicating
coordination between municipal and security force authorities in the department. Artibonite has
remained one of the highest-risk operational environments in Haiti for over two years, with armed
groups exercising significant territorial control over portions of the department including routes
critical to north-south commerce and humanitarian movement.
The deployment of armored vehicles represents a meaningful upgrade in PNH tactical capability in
a department where officers have previously operated with limited protection against armed group
firepower. However, the operational impact will depend on whether the vehicles are integrated into
coordinated clearing operations or deployed in a static force protection posture. Armored vehicle
transfers without accompanying tactical doctrine, personnel training, and operational coordination
with MSS forces carry limited deterrent value against entrenched armed groups with demonstrated
capability to engage and disable security force assets.
It is not confirmed as of brief compilation whether the six vehicles represent newly delivered assets
from an international donor pipeline or redeployments from existing PNH fleet inventory. This
distinction has budgetary and sustainability implications that affect the durability of the
reinforcement. If drawn from existing inventory, the deployment may signal a reallocation of limited
resources rather than a net capability increase.
The Artibonite reinforcement, taken alongside the Kenscoff ambush, reflects a security environment
in which institutional responses remain reactive rather than proactive. Decision-makers monitoring
the Artibonite corridor for humanitarian logistics and commercial movement should treat this
February 23, 2026

reinforcement as a positive but insufficient signal pending evidence of sustained operational
clearance.



## HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Artibonite Department, particularly the Liancourt-Saint-Marc axis, has been under sustained
armed group pressure since 2023, with the Labanye-affiliated structure and its successors
controlling key commercial chokepoints. Previous PNH reinforcements in the department have
produced temporary operational improvements followed by armed group adaptation. MSS
Kenya-led mission elements have conducted joint operations in the department with mixed results.



## TALKING POINTS

Six armored vehicles delivered to Artibonite PNH Directorate as of the February 22-23 reporting
cycle.
Mayor of Montrouis Blaise Elysee confirmed welcoming arrival, signaling municipal-security
coordination.
Asset origin, whether new donor delivery or existing fleet redeployment, has not been confirmed.
Vehicle deployment without confirmed operational integration plan carries limited deterrent value.
Artibonite remains a primary risk corridor for humanitarian logistics and north-south commercial
movement.
Reinforcement is reactive in character and does not alter the fundamental armed group posture in
the department.



## RECOMMENDED DECISIONS

Humanitarian logistics planners should not revise Artibonite corridor risk classifications on the basis
of the vehicle deployment alone pending evidence of active clearing operations.
MSS coordination points should be queried on whether the armored vehicle arrival is linked to a
scheduled joint operation or represents a standalone PNH initiative.
Commercial operators with supply chains transiting the Artibonite should maintain current elevated
risk protocols and treat the reinforcement as a preliminary indicator only.
International donors should request clarification from PNH command on asset origin and
operational integration plan to assess sustainability of the reinforcement.
Political actors and diplomatic staff should note the Montrouis mayoral statement as a signal of
local government alignment with security force presence, a factor in Artibonite governance
dynamics.
CONFIDENCE
February 23, 2026

Moderate confidence based on partial institutional reporting.



## DEVELOPMENT 3: LEOGANE RARA BAN AND SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS OF

INSECURITY SPREAD
Municipal authorities in Leogane, in coordination with Rara unions and associations, prohibited all
Rara festivities for the 2026 season as a preventive security measure following an assessment of
prevailing conditions. Rara is a culturally and economically significant festival tradition in Haiti, and
its cancellation in a major commune represents a measurable compression of civil space and local
economic activity attributable to insecurity. The decision reflects the judgment of local authorities
that the movement of festival bands and associated crowds in public spaces poses an
unacceptable security risk under current conditions.
The Leogane ban is analytically significant beyond its immediate cultural context. Leogane lies
along the Route Nationale 2 corridor southwest of Port-au-Prince and has not historically been
among the highest-alert communes in operational security assessments. A proactive ban of this
nature, issued before any confirmed incident, signals that insecurity perceptions and threat
assessments have expanded to include communes that fall outside the primary Port-au-Prince
gang control perimeter. This geographic expansion of precautionary security measures is a leading
indicator of insecurity diffusion.
The economic dimension is also material. Rara season generates informal economic activity across
food vending, transport, performance, and hospitality sectors in participating communes.
Cancellation eliminates that revenue cycle for local small business operators during a period when
the Haitian gourde remains under sustained pressure and no confirmed BRH rate data for this
24-hour window was available for analysis. For communities already operating at subsistence
margins, the elimination of seasonal economic activity compounds household vulnerability.
For stakeholders monitoring civil stability indicators beyond the Port-au-Prince metropolitan zone,
the Leogane ban should be entered into geographic risk tracking systems as evidence of insecurity
diffusion into previously moderate-risk communes along the RN2 corridor.



## HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Rara season cancellations or restrictions in Haitian communes have occurred intermittently since
2022 as armed group territorial expansion compressed civil space in multiple departments. Prior to
the current security crisis, Rara bans were rare and typically associated with specific localized
incidents rather than general threat environment assessments. The 2026 Leogane ban follows a
February 23, 2026

pattern seen in Artibonite communes in 2024 and 2025 and suggests southward diffusion of the
precautionary security posture.



## TALKING POINTS

Leogane municipal authorities banned all Rara festivities for 2026 citing security assessment, not a
specific prior incident.
Decision taken in coordination with Rara unions, indicating civil society and local government
alignment on threat perception.
Leogane's position on RN2 southwest of Port-au-Prince marks the ban as an indicator of insecurity
geographic diffusion.
Cancellation eliminates informal economic activity during a period of sustained household
economic pressure.
No confirmed armed group incident in Leogane triggered the ban; it reflects preemptive threat
assessment.
Stakeholders should flag this as a leading indicator for civil space compression beyond the primary
metropolitan zone.



## RECOMMENDED DECISIONS

Geographic risk mapping tools should be updated to reflect elevated precautionary security posture
in Leogane and adjacent RN2 corridor communes.
Humanitarian program managers operating in the southwest should incorporate this ban into
livelihood impact assessments for vulnerable community populations.
Civil society monitors should document the Leogane ban as part of a systematic record of Rara
cancellations to enable trend analysis across departments.
Business operations staff with logistics or field presence on RN2 should review movement protocols
for the period that would have been covered by Rara season.
Political actors should note that proactive municipal security restrictions without central government
directive indicate autonomous local authority threat responses, a governance dynamic worth
tracking.
CONFIDENCE
High confidence based on official institutional reporting.



## DEVELOPMENT 4: NATIONAL PACT POLITICAL RECEPTION AND ELECTORAL DECREE

RE-CIRCULATION
February 23, 2026

The governance dimension of the February 22-23 cycle is defined by two intersecting signals:
continued public debate over the National Pact signed on February 21, 2026, framed in Haitian
media as a tension between adhesion and criticism, and the deliberate re-circulation by authorities
of the revised electoral decree and electoral calendar via the official journal. The combination of
these two signals suggests transitional actors are attempting to use procedural reaffirmation to
anchor legitimacy at a moment when the Pact's political reception remains contested.
Full party-by-party reaction data to the National Pact was not retrievable from HaitiLibre within the
24-hour compilation window due to a page access issue. As a result, the scope of political
opposition or endorsement cannot be fully validated in this brief cycle. What is confirmed is that the
Pact generated sufficient public controversy to sustain media attention into a second news cycle,
indicating it has not achieved the rapid consensus consolidation that transitional authorities would
require for it to function as a stabilizing instrument.
The re-circulation of the electoral decree and calendar through the official journal is a procedural
act with political intent. It signals that the CEP and transitional authorities wish to maintain the
formal appearance of electoral process continuity regardless of the political turbulence generated
by the Pact controversy. For international stakeholders tracking electoral viability, the re-circulation
is a data point on institutional will but not a sufficient indicator of operational electoral readiness,
given persistent gaps in funding, logistics, and security preconditions.
The CPT mandate under current institutional constants expires on February 7, 2027. Countdown
language referencing imminent expiration is not applicable to the current reporting date. The
transition framework has approaching pressure points within the calendar year, but the immediate
governance risk is more accurately characterized as legitimacy attrition rather than mandate
collapse.



## HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Haiti's transitional governance history includes multiple iterations of national pact-style political
agreements that generated initial momentum followed by contestation and fragmentation. The 2023
Montana Accord process and the subsequent CPT formation reflect this pattern. Electoral decree
promulgation without corresponding operational capacity has been a recurring feature of the
electoral environment since 2015. The re-circulation of procedural documents does not have a
consistent track record of stabilizing political consensus in prior transition cycles.



## TALKING POINTS

National Pact political reception remains contested with media framing tensions between adhesion
and criticism entering second news cycle.
February 23, 2026

Full party-by-party reaction data unavailable in this cycle due to source access limitations,
reducing confidence on political breadth of Pact support.
CEP re-circulated revised electoral decree and calendar through official journal, signaling
procedural continuity intent.
Procedural reaffirmation does not substitute for operational readiness gaps in funding, logistics, and
security preconditions for elections.
CPT mandate expires February 7, 2027; current governance risk is legitimacy attrition rather than
imminent mandate collapse.
Transitional actors appear to be using electoral procedural signaling to stabilize political
environment following Pact controversy.



## RECOMMENDED DECISIONS

International organizations supporting the electoral process should request a CEP operational
readiness update rather than treating decree re-circulation as a substitute for logistical and financial
gap assessments.
Diplomatic staff should commission a full mapping of party-by-party National Pact positions once
source access permits full validation, targeting a 48-72 hour follow-up cycle.
Political risk analysts should enter the second-cycle media attention on Pact contestation as a
legitimacy attrition indicator in governance stability dashboards.
Diaspora-facing communicators should note that the electoral decree re-circulation provides a
legitimate process reference point for community stakeholders seeking procedural grounding.
Decision-makers monitoring CPT continuity should plan around the February 7, 2027 mandate
expiration horizon with mid-year review checkpoints rather than treating near-term expiration as the
operative risk.
CONFIDENCE
Low confidence due to limited or conflicting reporting.



## WHAT TO WATCH NEXT





## NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS

Trigger: Le Nouvelliste and AlterPresse coverage of the Natcom Kenscoff ambush.
Direction: Confirmation or escalation of telecommunications sector targeting pattern.
Risk: If cross-verification confirms deliberate targeting, telecom operator logistics suspension
February 23, 2026

becomes an operational risk trigger across mountain communes.
Trigger: HaitiLibre restoration of National Pact party-by-party reaction article.
Direction: Full political mapping of Pact adhesion and opposition bloc composition.
Risk: If opposition bloc is broader than currently indicated, Pact legitimacy as a stabilizing
instrument deflates rapidly.
Trigger: PNH or MSS official statement on Kenscoff ambush and Artibonite vehicle deployment
operational integration.
Direction: Institutional response posture clarification.
Risk: Silence or reactive posture confirms that security reinforcements remain disconnected from
proactive operational doctrine.



## THIS WEEK

Trigger: Confirmation of Artibonite armored vehicle asset origin, donor-delivered versus fleet
redeployment.
Direction: Sustainability assessment of PNH reinforcement in the department.
Risk: If redeployment from existing fleet, net capability gain is zero and Artibonite risk classification
should remain unchanged.
Trigger: CEP communication on electoral calendar operational milestones following decree
re-circulation.
Direction: Assessment of whether procedural reaffirmation translates into logistical activation.
Risk: Absence of operational follow-through within the week confirms that the re-circulation is
symbolic rather than substantive.
Trigger: Additional commune-level Rara or public assembly cancellations across southwest or
Artibonite departments.
Direction: Geographic diffusion rate of precautionary insecurity measures beyond primary
metropolitan zone.
Risk: Cluster of cancellations across multiple communes signals accelerating civil space
compression requiring revised regional risk assessments.



## STRATEGIC HORIZON

Trigger: National Pact implementation mechanism activation and international community formal
response.
Direction: Determination of whether the Pact functions as a genuine transition framework or a
negotiating posture by competing factions.
Risk: If international community withholds formal endorsement, Pact loses the external legitimacy
anchor required for domestic political uptake.
February 23, 2026

Trigger: CPT governance continuity review as the February 7, 2027 mandate horizon enters the
strategic planning window.
Direction: Scenario mapping for post-CPT institutional arrangements.
Risk: Without advance planning for mandate succession, the February 2027 date becomes a
political shock rather than a managed transition milestone.
Trigger: Sustained armed group pressure on utility sector personnel following Kenscoff precedent.
Direction: Potential systemic withdrawal of essential service maintenance staff from
conflict-adjacent zones.
Risk: If telecom, water, and power sector workers assess personal risk as unacceptable,
infrastructure degradation in secondary urban zones accelerates beyond current projections.



## PRIMARY SOURCES

Karibinfo, Haiti Insecurity: Leogane Prohibits Rara Festivities.
https://www.karibinfo.com/news/haiti-insecurite-la-mairie-de-leogane-interdit-la-sortie-des-bandes-de-rara/
Le Nouvelliste, Armored Vehicles Sent to North, Background Reference.
https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/264447/armored-vehicles-and-150-officers-sent-to-the-north
Canada-Haiti.ca, Political Parties Pact Reference.
https://canada-haiti.ca/content/more-70-political-parties-agree-new-one-year-transition-period-without-cpt
Human Rights Watch, Haiti Criminal Groups Trafficking Children Amid State Collapse, February 20,
2026.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/20/haiti-criminal-groups-trafficking-children-amid-state-collapse
Reuters, Haiti Political Crisis, January 23, 2026.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/two-top-haiti-leaders-signal-pm-could-be-removed-after-us-threats-2026
HaitiLibre, Haiti News Zapping, February 22-23, 2026.
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46919-haiti-news-zapping.html
BINUH, Report on Child Trafficking by Criminal Groups, February 2026.
https://binuh.unmissions.org/en/communiques-de-presse/la-traite-denfants-par-les-gangs-met-en-peril-lavenir-dha
HaitiLibre, PM Fils-Aime Address to Nation, Background Reference.
https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-46810-haiti-flash-address-to-the-nation-by-prime-minister-fils-aime-video.html
Gazett Haiti, Economic Indicators, February 2026. https://www.gazettehaiti.com/node/13439
PBS NewsHour, Haiti Transitional Council Political Developments.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/haitis-transitional-council-votes-to-oust-prime-minister-fils-aime-deepening-p
Americas Quarterly, Haiti Political Crisis and Criminal Governance.
https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/haitis-political-crisis-deepens-amid-a-slide-into-criminal-governance/
Vantbef Info, National Pact Coverage, February 21, 2026.
https://www.facebook.com/vantbefinfo/posts/un-pacte-national-scellé-pour-relancer-la-stabilité-et-organiser-les-él
[Social Media]
February 23, 2026



---

*Exported from AYITI INTEL Reader on 2026-03-01 05:25 UTC*