PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Aug 26, CMC The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) said it had recaptured the Télcos Station from the criminal gangs led by the figure known as “Izo2.”
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the MSS said that the operation was carried out during the early hours of Monday and involved the Haitian National Police (PNH).
“The gangs suffered heavy losses as the security forces conducted a methodical sweep, moving door to door to neutralize armed resistance. Several individuals attempting to flee or hide were apprehended, while a cache of weapons and other materials was seized and is now in PNH custody,” the statement noted.
It said as part of the operation, MSS and PNH teams are also clearing roadblocks that had been erected by gangs along routes leading to Télcos and Kenscoff, restoring safe passage for local communities.
“Sending a strong and unambiguous message, PNH Director General Vladimir Paraison and MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge affirmed that the era of impunity for gangs is coming to an end. They warned that those who continue to bear arms will face decisive action, while more targeted operations are already planned,” the statement said.
It quoted the leadership of both MSS and PNH as extending their gratitude to the residents of Télcos and Kenscoff “for their cooperation and resilience, assuring them of continued protection and renewed efforts to restore peace and stability in their communities”.
Over the last weekend, the General Directorate of the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC) conemned the acts of sabotage perpetrated by the criminal groups against its communications facilities located on the former Téléco telecommunications antenna site in Kenscoff.
OFNAC said that it wanted to reassure all users and passengers that these incidents resulted in only minor disruption to air traffic and that “mitigation measures were immediately implemented to ensure the continuity and safety of air operations throughout the country”.
The criminal gangs have been seeking to overthrow the provisional government in Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021.
The gangs have all but taken control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, resulting in the displacement of thousands of people, murders and kidnapping as well as rape of women and children,
The future of the MSS, since the United Nations Security Council approved its deployment on October 2, 2023, may be decided in October, when its mandate expires and the United Nations could approve a U.S.-backed plan to shift the force into a UN-funded peacekeeping model.
Since its deployment, the MSS has faced legal and logistical hurdles as well as a funding shortfall.
CMC/ah/ir/2025