All intelligence services were aware of the gangs' plan to attack Kenscoff—“that there was going to be a problem,” admitted Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé during a press briefing at the National Police Headquarters (DGPNH) on Thursday. In a single question, PM Fils-Aimé placed the responsibility directly on the head of the police, Rameau Normil: “How did this happen when we knew?” As head of the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN), he underscored that it was ultimately the PNH’s responsibility to act on this information and take the necessary precautions to prevent the attacks. However, the Prime Minister did not provide any official death toll, number of injured, or displaced persons. Once again, he reiterated that security is his government’s “number one priority.” Like many of his predecessors, he has his words—his promises.

Yet, on the ground in Kenscoff, the terror is far from over. Testimonies continue to emerge, solidifying the death toll and recounting the horrors inflicted by the gangs. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon, when interviewed before noon on Friday, was hesitant to provide an official toll but acknowledged the gravity of the situation: "Between Monday and Tuesday, reports suggest that more than 40 people were killed." Between Thursday and Friday, the violence persisted. The gangs took over the Baptist Church of Kikwa and continued attacking other communities. Bodies remain unburied—and in some cases, dogs have been seen devouring corpses. "A farmer who took the initiative to bury his neighbors’ bodies was beheaded by the gangsters," said Mayor Massillon. "Six members of the same family were slaughtered."  The mayor of Kenscoff, who is moving heaven and earth to assist “four to five hundred displaced persons”, also deplored the abandonment of the commune of Carrefour. "That’s where they come from to bring death to Kenscoff. They pass through Beli," he explained. He noted, however, that the police and residents are making efforts to protect the town center.