2026-01-31

Territorial Expansion into Sud-Est Department Heavily armed Viv Ansanm coalition members attacked Tet Kajak village in Marigot commune early morning January 30 killing at least seven people including three vigilante brigade members and wounding four others according to Le Nouvelliste and Vant Bef Info reporting. The assault originated from gang-controlled Kenscoff territory in Nouvelle Touraine area and resulted in burning of multiple houses, motorcycle theft and destruction, widespread pillaging, and resident displacement toward Jacmel. Tet Kajak sits at the West Department and Sud-Est Department junction and the attack represents strategic escalation beyond Viv Ansanm's Kenscoff stronghold seized January 27, 2025. Vant Bef Info reported that local residents expressed shock at the incursion noting that while rumors of Kenscoff-based gang expansion existed the actual attack provoked profound shock among residents previously spared direct gang violence. Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean confirmed multiple residents fled toward Jacmel but could not provide exact displacement figures and stated that resistance would continue while requesting reinforced security support. Vant Bef Info analysis January 31, 2026 warned that absent lasting government response the violence extension toward Marigot exposes the entire Sud-Est Department to increased insecurity risks. The strategic significance is that Marigot's fall to gang control would sever the road corridor connecting Port-au-Prince to Jacmel and the southern coast isolating the capital further and providing Viv Ansanm access to maritime smuggling routes. The attack coincided with the first anniversary of Kenscoff commune gang takeover demonstrating one year of territorial control enabled Viv Ansanm to consolidate positions and project force into adjacent departments. More than 10,000 people have been killed during 22 months of CPT governance as gang territorial expansion continues unabated. For humanitarian organizations the Tet Kajak corridor connecting Kenscoff to Marigot and onward to Jacmel is now a high-risk zone requiring armed escort or alternative routing protocols. PNH numbers approximately 12,000 officers against an estimated 12,000 armed gang members with the Gang Suppression Force fielding only 1,000 personnel versus the authorized 5,550 creating severe force ratio disadvantages that limit counter-gang operational capacity in newly threatened Sud-Est territories.