In Haiti, all members of a group of abducted missionaries have been released by the gang that kidnapped them on October 16 just outside the capital Port-au-Prince. In all, 17 missionaries and their families were imprisoned. At the end of November, two of them were already released.
The group consists of Canadians and Americans who are affiliated with the American organization Christian Aid Ministries. The gang is called 400 Mawozo, and is behind many more kidnappings, murders and extortion cases. According to the local authorities, the group wanted a million dollars ransom per person.
It is not clear whether the ransom was actually paid, according to Reuters news agency.
Street violence increased
Haiti is becoming increasingly unsafe. Last summer, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his own home. The already dysfunctional government has since crumbled even further and street violence has increased. Gangs rule large parts of the capital. There is also a huge shortage of fuels.
US authorities have urged all Americans in Haiti to leave. Canada has recalled most of its embassy staff.
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