Status: 11/22/2021 2:52 a.m.
Two of 17 kidnapped American and Canadian missionaries are free. This was confirmed by the Haitian police. The missionaries were abducted in October.
Two foreigners kidnapped in Haiti over a month ago have been released. “We have been informed that two of the hostages in Haiti have been released,” said the US aid organization Christian Aid Ministries. In mid-October, 17 missionaries and relatives were abducted by a criminal gang in the Caribbean country.
The Haitian police confirmed the release. Authorities had previously said a gang known as the 400 Mawozo are demanding a million dollar ransom per person. A man posing as the gang leader said in a video posted on YouTube last month that he would be willing to kill the abductees if his request was not met. It remained unclear whether the ransom was paid.
Sharp increase in kidnappings
The hostages were twelve adults and five children – all but one from Canada are from the United States. The Christian Aid Ministries did not provide any details about the kidnapping victims who have now been released. “We can only provide limited information: the two released hostages are safe and in good shape,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the 15 people who are still being held.”
Haiti, the poorest country on the American continent, has been plagued by political chaos and criminal violence for years. At the beginning of July, President Jovenel Moïse was shot in his residence, the background remains unclear to this day. Criminal gangs controlled large areas, especially around the capital Port-au-Prince. Ransom extortions in particular are on the rise. According to the UN, the number of kidnappings rose by 200 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year.