Three further members of a group of 17 Christian missionaries and children abducted by an armed gang in Haiti on 16 October have been set free by their captors.
US-based Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement on 6 December announcing that the three were released the previous night, saying they are “safe, and seem to be in good spirits”.
As with the earlier release of two members of the group on Sunday 21 November, the missionary society added that it was unable to supply the names of those released, the reasons why they have been set free, or their current location.
An informal settlement in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The island has the worst global record for kidnapping, with gangs active across Port-Au-Prince and the surrounding areas [Image credit: UN]
Christian Aid Ministries called for three days of prayer and fasting for the remaining twelve hostages and expressed thanks for prayer support received.
The missionaries and their Haitian driver were abducted by the notorious 400 Mawozo gang, known for carrying out kidnappings and killings in the region, on 16 October. The Christian group comprises 16 Americans and one Canadian and includes five children.
The gang’s leader has threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands are met.
Haiti has the worst global record for kidnapping. At least 328 people were reported kidnapped in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of the previous year, according to figures from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.
