Haiti Police Recapture Key Telecom Hub Amid Ongoing Security Crackdown

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug. 27 - Haitian National Police announced Tuesday they have retaken control of a critical telecommunications hub in Kenscoff that had been seized last week by heavily armed gangs, marking a rare operational success for the country’s security forces.

The pre-dawn operation at the Téléco site lasted approximately two hours, according to National Police spokesperson Michel-Ange Louis Jeune. Officers encountered and overpowered gang fighters, discovering a cache of automatic weapons with obliterated serial numbers and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition inside the facility.

The hub’s seizure by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition had briefly disrupted internet services and air traffic control, though officials later reported minimal impact on aviation. The recapture was framed by police as a strong message from newly appointed police chief André Jonas Vladimir Paraison that authorities will not cede critical infrastructure to criminal groups.

Godfrey Otunge, commander of the Kenyan-led UN-backed multinational security mission supporting Haitian forces, attended the official briefing and appealed for public patience, promising that further results would follow. Despite this tactical victory, large portions of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas remain under gang influence, and recent kidnappings-including eight individuals taken from the Saint-Hélène orphanage earlier this month-underscore the persistent threat to civilians.

The operation represents one of the most significant gains for Haitian authorities since the deployment of international police reinforcements and comes amid calls for expanded stabilisation efforts by both domestic leaders and international partners.