DodoFinance Breaking News Made For You!
Seven members of the Catholic clergy, including two French nationals, were kidnapped in Haiti on Sunday. A spokesperson for the local Bishops’ Conference said so.
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 was preparing to appoint a new parish priest.
According to an elder of the Catholic Church, the kidnappers would demand a ransom of $ 1 million (approximately $ 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.
The number of kidnappings is increasing
Haiti has been agitated for a long time. Kidnappings for ransom 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 one-month state of emergency to restore state authority in areas where gangs operate. The measure was put in place because of the actions of armed gangs “kidnapping people for ransom, speaking publicly, stealing and looting public and private property, and openly defying public security forces,” says a presidential decree on emergency state.
“Infuriatingly humble social media ninja. Devoted travel junkie. Student. Avid internet lover.”