Haiti's National Police faced mounting criticism Thursday over why authorities failed to prevent a recent gang attack in which 47 people were killed and more than 50 kidnapped. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Police spokesperson Garry Desrosiers took only a handful of questions from journalists at a news conference Thursday, just days after gangs attacked Kenscoff, a once-peaceful farming community nestled in the hills near Port-au-Prince.
Asked what police are planning to do about those kidnapped, Desrosiers said he could not answer that question publicly. "We cannot talk about any plans," he said.
One gang leader has threatened to execute all the hostages if any gang members are killed as police work to secure Kenscoff.
Desrosiers expressed condolences to all those affected by the violent attack launched late Sunday. More than 2,600 people were displaced, according to the U.N. International Organization for Migration, and anger and frustration are mounting. Desrosiers said police are working on helping them return home, but he did not provide specifics.
One journalist questioned whether there was any intelligence gathered prior to the attack, with Desrosiers responding that authorities have been working on gathering intelligence. He added that police are aware that one gang leader is threatening to attack Tabarre, a neighborhood within Port-au-Prince where the U.S. embassy is located.