Seven Catholic clergy, including two French nationals, were kidnapped in Haiti on Sunday. A spokesman for the local Bishops’ Conference said this.
Five priests and two nuns were kidnapped Sunday morning in Croix-des-Bouquets, a congregation northeast of the capital Port-au-Prince. At the time, the clergy were on their way to appoint a new priest for the parish.
According to an elder of the Catholic Church, the kidnappers would demand a ransom of $ 1 million (about $ 840 million) in exchange for their release.
According to local authorities, an armed gang called “400 Mawozo” is behind the kidnappings. This gang is regularly involved in kidnappings on the island.
Number of kidnappings is increasing
Haiti has been unsettled for a long time. Ransom kidnappings in Port-au-Prince and other provinces have increased in recent months, reflecting the growing influence of armed gangs.
In March, the Caribbean island government declared a month-long state of emergency to restore state authority in the areas where the gangs operate. The measure was put in place because of the actions of armed gangs “kidnapping people for ransom, publicly speaking out, stealing and robbing public and private property, and openly challenging public security forces,” said a presidential decree on the state of emergency.
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