Haitian Gang Leader Threatens To Kill Kidnapped Missionaries

By Associated Press
October 21, 2021

The person of the 400 Mawozo pack that constabulary accidental is holding 17 members of a kidnapped missionary radical is seen successful a video released Thursday saying helium volition termination them if helium doesn’t get what he’s demanding.

He besides threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the main of Haiti’s National Police, Léon Charles, arsenic helium spoke successful beforehand of the unfastened coffins that seemingly held respective members of his pack who were precocious killed.

Earlier this week, authorities said that the pack was demanding $1 cardinal per person, though it wasn’t instantly wide that included the 5 children successful the group, among them an 8-month-old. Sixteen Americans and 1 Canadian were abducted, on with their Haitian driver. The missionaries are with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries.

The enactment aboriginal issued a connection saying it would not remark connected the video “until those straight progressive successful obtaining the merchandise of the hostages person determined that comments volition not jeopardize the information and well-being of our unit and household members.”

The aforesaid time that the missionaries were kidnapped, a pack besides abducted a Haiti assemblage professor, according to a connection that Haiti’s ombudsman-like Office of Citizen Protection issued connected Tuesday. It besides noted that a Haitian pastor abducted earlier this period has not been released contempt a ransom being paid.

In summation to kidnappings, the gangs besides are blamed for blocking state organisation terminals and hijacking proviso trucks, which officials accidental has led to a shortage of fuel. Many state stations present stay closed for days astatine a time, and the deficiency of substance is truthful dire that the CEO of Digicel Haiti announced connected Tuesday that 150 of its 1,500 branches countrywide are retired of diesel.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.