Haiti's President must do more to combat the country’s “scourge” of kidnappings
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s President, Jovenel Moisevowed pledged to work harder on Monday to combat the “tragedy” of the country's kidnapping after the abduction of 10 people, including clergy and French citizens. Ransom kidnappings have skyrocketed in recent months in Port-au-Prince and other states, reflecting the growing influence of armed groups in the Caribbean.
The wrath of the Americas' poorest countries is plagued when five priests and two nuns were kidnapped in Haiti on Sunday, a Catholic priest said, with two French citizens among the hostages in the Caribbean nation increasingly driven by kidnappings and violent crime. The clergy members were kidnapped in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, northeast of the capital Port-au-Prince, said Father Gilbert Peltrop, secretary-general of the Haitian Conference of the Religious (CHR) association.
"The nation must stand up to fight these thugs," Peltroptold Reuters. The French citizens included one priest and a nun, he said. France's Foreign Ministry confirmed that two French citizens had been kidnapped in Haiti but did not provide further details, citing security reasons.
The kidnappings come less than two weeks after shooters kidnapped a Haitian pastor and three others during a streamed live ceremony on Facebook. The seven clergies' kidnapping was carried out by the notorious "400 Mawozo" gang, Haitian news agency Juno7. "The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 1 million dollars," Juno7 said.
Haiti has been rocked by rising violence in recent years, especially by a spate of kidnappings for ransoms which have paralyzed the economy and Haitian society. Moisevowed to “do not give up” and “do everything the law allows” to secure the release of the kidnapped group and to tackle the kidnapping issue in Haiti more broadly. “We know that the country must work harder to combat the kidnapping and organized crime disaster,” he said at a ceremony to launch a customs facility in Port-au-Prince.
Moise screamed after stabbing criticism from the Catholic Church that Haiti had witnessed a “descent to hell” for some time. “Public institutions that have not done anything to resolve this crisis cannot escape suspicion,” the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince said in a statement.
The Haiti Religious Council (CHR) also denounced the government authorities' lack of institutions in a statement. The CHR “expresses not only that deep sorrow but also the anger at the subhuman situation we have walked for over a decade,” the group said. “It’s been a day without crying and clenching teeth, but the so-called leaders of this country are becoming more and more helpless while sticking to power.” “This is too much. It’s time to stop these inhumane acts,” said Bishop Pierre André Dumas of Miragoane, southwestern Haiti. “The church is praying in solidarity with all the victims of this vicious act,” he added.
Anxiety arises as the government remains in political conflict. Moise claims that his term will last until February 7, 2022, but some claim that it ended on February 7, 2021. The discrepancy is because Moses was elected in a vote canceled due to fraud and was re-elected a year later. Without Congress, the country would be in further crisis in 2020, and Moses would be governed by legislation, increasing distrust of him. In a volatile situation, Moise said he would hold a constitutional referendum in June.
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