Africa

47 Dead, 22 Injured as Gangs Target Displaced Persons Camp in Haiti Church

Published

2 months ago

August 25, 2026

47 Dead, 22 Injured as Gangs Target Displaced Persons Camp in Haiti Church

The United Nations has confirmed that at least 47 people were killed and 22 others injured in an overnight gang attack on the hillside community of Kenscoff, near Port-au-Prince. The assault, which targeted a displaced persons camp sheltering inside a church, has sparked outrage among residents who accuse security forces of failing to protect them from repeated violence. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti warned that casualty estimates could still change as searches continue.

According to Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean, armed men raided the community late Sunday, setting fire to homes and targeting a displaced persons camp located inside a church. “The bandits raided a displaced persons camp located in a church. They executed several people. There are fatalities and dozens of wounded. Some people were abducted by the criminals,” Jean told the AFP news agency. Residents described the attack as a “night of terror.” Wails filled the air in Kenscoff as survivors found the bodies of friends and family strewn on the streets early Monday. One woman kept yelling, “They killed my son!” as people nearby tried to comfort her. Local media reported that several houses were set on fire, including the home of Dr. Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert and founder of the Gheskio centres, which provide healthcare and HIV treatment in Haiti.

Kenscoff holds a strategic position overlooking routes into Petion-Ville—home to several embassies, upscale hotels, and the temporary seat of government—as well as a major road from the capital into southern Haiti. Control over Kenscoff would give armed groups another access route into Petion-Ville, where the transitional government has been relocating ministries. The community has suffered a dozen attacks by armed gangs since last year, forcing thousands to flee their homes. Attacks in Kenscoff over two months in early 2025 saw more than 260 people killed and 200 homes destroyed or set on fire, forcing 3,000 people to flee, according to UN estimates.

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Mayor Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition that the U.S. government designated as a foreign terrorist organisation last year. The gangs are seeking to consolidate their presence in Kenscoff, a strategic area due to its proximity to the Southeast department and the city of Jacmel, which had remained relatively unaffected by the violence plaguing Port-au-Prince. Since setting their sights on Kenscoff with their first assault on January 27, 2025, members of Viv Ansanm have tried to reach its geographic centre. On Sunday, they finally did so with an attack that unfolded in several regions of the commune, near the mayor’s office and a police substation.

Even as Haiti’s government decried a “heinous attack” and promised to reinforce security, residents demanded the local police chief step down, saying officers failed to protect people killed just minutes from the police station. “Kenscoff will not be abandoned,” the prime minister’s office said on social media. “The government’s authority will be restored, without weakness and without delay.” The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé expressed “profound compassion” for the victims and their families, announcing that all security forces were on “maximum alert” and reinforcements were being deployed. “My family are victims,” said Coriolan Kendy, standing by his cousin’s body, lying on the road in a blood-stained sheet. “People in Kenscoff are suffering, and the government is to blame.” Another resident, Orisme, pleaded for the prime minister’s support: “We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us.” Some residents said several dozen police had tried to rebuff the armed men during the night, and some were injured. They added that they did not identify gang members among the dead. National police chief Vladimir Paraison told reporters during a visit to Kenscoff later in the day: “The police never gave up.”

The attack may deepen concerns over Haiti’s ability to hold an election in December, its first in a decade. Successive governments have repeatedly postponed elections as armed gangs have expanded their influence. Gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, with Viv Ansanm repeatedly targeting nearby Kenscoff. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti—roughly 14% of the population—where more than 3,100 people were reported killed from January to June and another 1,189 injured, according to UN statistics. According to UN data, violence in Haiti caused at least 2,310 deaths and 1,106 injuries in the first five months of the year. There were also at least 99 kidnappings; 699 people—especially women and girls—were victims of sexual violence; and hundreds of minors remain in the hands of human trafficking networks. The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti has long suffered from deep-seated political instability, corruption, natural disasters, and gang violence. The UN estimates that approximately 5.8 million Haitians—about 52% of the population—are experiencing food insecurity, while the number of displaced people reached 1.4 million last year, an unprecedented level.

The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (FRG), which is mandated to help police fight gangs and replace a previous underfunded and ineffective structure, aims to reach a capacity of more than 5,500 troops this autumn. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions on whether the troops were reinforcing Kenscoff security. The attack comes less than a week after the U.S. government deported more than 160 people to Haiti for the first time since the Trump administration won a legal battle to end Temporary Protected Status for some 350,000 Haitians. Haiti’s government has said some of the deportees included TPS holders. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said those deported Friday included several gang members with criminal records ranging from assault to drug trafficking.

47 Dead, 22 Injured as Gangs Target Displaced Persons Camp in Haiti Church

Africa

FBI Raids Ghana Scam Centre, Detains Over 130 in $10m Fraud Probe

Published

2 days ago

October 8, 2026

Trends Admin

FBI Raids Ghana Scam Centre, Detains Over 130 in $10m Fraud Probe

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has raided a suspected scam centre in Ghana, detaining more than 130 people and uncovering nearly $10 million in identified losses linked to an international fraud operation targeting Americans.

The operation, carried out under the FBI’s Operation Blackout, also led to the seizure of more than 300 electronic devices, while investigators identified 89 victims, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Patel announced the operation on Thursday, saying the Ghana raid was part of the FBI’s wider campaign against transnational scam networks operating through so-called scam compounds.

However, the FBI has not classified everyone detained as a suspected fraudster.

Patel specifically said the more than 130 people arrested or detained included victims who are expected to be repatriated to their home countries, suggesting that some people found at the facility may have been trafficked into the operation rather than involved in running the scams.

The FBI has not disclosed the exact location of the Ghana operation, the identities or nationalities of those detained, or the Ghanaian agencies that participated in the raid.

It also remains unclear how many of those detained will face criminal charges in Ghana or possible prosecution or extradition proceedings in the United States.

Patel said the investigation was continuing, warning that scam compounds are increasingly being used to target American citizens and inflict substantial financial losses.

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The Ghana operation is the latest action under Operation Blackout, which the FBI says is targeting organised fraud networks around the world.

According to Patel, the broader operation has so far resulted in roughly $17 billion in assets seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.

More than 10,000 Americans have also reportedly been warned before losing money, with the FBI estimating that about $670 million in losses were prevented.

The Ghana raid comes amid growing concern over the international expansion of online fraud and scam compounds, with law-enforcement agencies increasingly reporting links between cyber-enabled fraud and human trafficking.

In such operations, workers can be recruited through false employment offers and allegedly transported or coerced into participating in online fraud against victims in other countries.

Ghana has previously cooperated with U.S. authorities in investigations involving transnational fraud.

In July 2026, Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, was extradited to the United States after being arrested in Ghana in December 2025. U.S. prosecutors accused him of participating in a romance-fraud network that allegedly targeted more than 80 elderly Americans and caused losses exceeding $8 million.

The extradition involved cooperation between Ghanaian authorities and several U.S. and Ghanaian law-enforcement bodies, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Accra.

The latest FBI operation also comes as international enforcement agencies increase pressure on scam networks operating outside traditional fraud hotspots in Southeast Asia.

The FBI has not released further details about the Ghana raid, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The bureau is expected to provide additional information as investigators establish the roles of those detained and determine which individuals, if any, will face prosecution.

Those accused of criminal offences are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

FBI Raids Ghana Scam Centre, Detains Over 130 in $10m Fraud Probe

Africa

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Published

1 week ago

October 1, 2026

Trends Admin

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, have been killed in a helicopter crash that claimed six lives in Marondera Rural, east of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.

The crash occurred at about 5pm local time on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, with the helicopter carrying six people, including Chivayo, his wife and two pilots.

Family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo confirmed the deaths, while Zimbabwean authorities said there were no survivors.

The aircraft came down in the Marondera area, about 72 kilometres east of Harare, before catching fire. Emergency responders and investigators were deployed to the scene after the crash.

Zimbabwean aviation authorities said preliminary information indicated that fuel spilled after the impact before a fire broke out. However, officials stressed that the information did not establish what caused the helicopter to crash.

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The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with aviation officials and other investigators examining the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the incident.

Police said the bodies were badly burned in the post-crash fire, making formal identification necessary. Forensic specialists were subsequently involved in the identification and investigation process.

Chivayo, 43, was one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent and publicly visible businessmen. He was known for his high-profile lifestyle, philanthropy and extensive social-media presence, where he frequently displayed luxury cars, properties and other expensive possessions.

He also maintained close links with senior political figures in Zimbabwe, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

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His business activities and political connections had previously attracted public scrutiny, including allegations relating to government contracts and political financing. Chivayo denied wrongdoing in connection with such allegations.

News of his death triggered reactions across the region, with political and business figures expressing condolences to his family.

Kenyan President William Ruto was among those who mourned Chivayo, describing the Zimbabwean businessman as a friend.

The crash has generated significant attention in Zimbabwe because of Chivayo’s prominence and his public profile, but authorities have not attributed the accident to any specific mechanical, weather or human factor.

Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, flight circumstances, weather conditions, pilot actions and other available evidence as they work to determine what caused the fatal helicopter crash.

Authorities have not announced a final finding on the cause of the accident.

Zimbabwe Tycoon Wicknell Chivayo, Wife Among Six Killed in Helicopter Crash

Africa

South Africa: 27 Killed, 26 Injured in Separate Mass Shootings

Published

2 weeks ago

September 27, 2026

Trends Admin

South Africa: 27 Killed, 26 Injured in Separate Mass Shootings

At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others injured in two separate mass shootings in South Africa, with police launching investigations and manhunts for the attackers.

The shootings occurred within hours of each other in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces, with the first attack reported at a tavern in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, on Saturday night, followed by another shooting at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, near Cape Town, in the early hours of Sunday.

In Wedela, police said gunmen opened fire on patrons at a tavern at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) said 17 people were killed in the attack, comprising 13 men and four women.

At least 15 people were also injured and taken to medical facilities for treatment.

According to the police, the attackers were armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols. They allegedly opened fire on people outside the tavern before entering the premises and continuing the shooting.

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The gunmen also reportedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before escaping in two unidentified vehicles.

Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects, while investigations are ongoing to establish the motive for the attack and identify those responsible.

A few hours later, another shooting occurred at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, a township near Cape Town.

Police said gunmen entered the venue, which also operates as a shisanyama, a popular South African establishment serving grilled meat, at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday and opened fire on people inside.

The attack left 10 people dead and 11 others injured.

Five victims reportedly died at the scene, while five others later died after being taken to medical facilities.

Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi established a multidisciplinary investigative team led by serious violent crime detectives to investigate the attack and pursue the perpetrators.

No arrests had been announced in connection with either shooting at the time of the latest police updates.

The two incidents came days after another deadly shooting in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, where 11 people were killed and three others injured at a house party.

The KwaZulu-Natal attack occurred on Tuesday night, September 22, according to police.

Authorities said some of the victims were known to Crime Intelligence in connection with alleged illegal activities, although investigators had not established a definitive motive. Police said a possible conflict between rival groups was among the lines of inquiry.

The three shootings have renewed concerns over gun violence in South Africa, particularly deadly attacks involving groups of armed suspects.

However, authorities have not established any connection between the shootings in Wedela, Lwandle and KwaMakhutha. Investigations into the individual incidents remain ongoing.