August 23, 2026. At around 9:00 p.m., armed criminals launched an assault. Downtown Kenscoff and its surrounding areas, which had been monitored by drone for several days, were the target. There is no doubt: they gained ground. The criminals targeted, among other places, the church that was sheltering people displaced from neighborhoods that had previously been attacked. Throughout the night, the glow of projectiles tore through the darkness, and bursts of gunfire forced residents of nearby neighborhoods to flee.

On WhatsApp and Facebook, SOS messages were sent out. In the middle of the night, it quickly became clear just how large-scale this attack was: bold, massive and unusually violent. The first obvious fact stood out. There was a failure in the security apparatus of the PNH, the FAd’H, the Task Force and the GSF—which is in the process of being deployed—that was supposed to contain the gangs, which have been waging open war against Kenscoff and its population since January 2025.