Armed gunmen kidnap six nuns in Haiti
Armed gunmen take at least six nuns hostage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
when they took over a bus carrying them and drove off to an unknown
destination.
The capital of Haiti is struggling to quell an outbreak of violence that
has led to some neighborhoods being totally sealed off from access. In
the midst of this chaos, local sources have reported that six religious
of the Sisters of Sainte-Anne congregation have been abducted along with
the other occupants including the driver of the vehicle they were
travelling on. Armed gunmen stopped and boarded the minibus as it was
heading to the university taking all passengers hostage. The kidnapping
took place on 19 January in broad daylight in the center of the capital
Port-au-Prince.
Appeal of local Church
The kidnapping, confirmed in a press release from the Haitian Conference
of Religious, has also been strongly denounced by Bishop Pierre-André
Dumas. The Bishop of Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne strongly and firmly
condemns "this latest odious and barbaric act that shows no respect for
the dignity of these consecrated women who give themselves
wholeheartedly and completely to God to educate and form the young, the
poorest and the most vulnerable of our society."
The Bishop calls for the release of the hostages and an end to "these
deplorable and criminal practices." Bishop Dumas calls on "all of
Haitian society to join hands to form a true circle of solidarity around
all the country's hostages, in order to obtain their release and grant
them a swift, safe return to their families and communities!" Finally,
he declares his willingness to take their place as a hostage.
Increasing violence
Since last Sunday, armed gangs have stepped up their murderous
activities, while demonstrations against the lack of security have been
organized across the country.
On Thursday in the Solino district in the south of Port-au-Prince
violent exchanges of gunfire took place between rival gangs, including
an armed group from the neighboring Bel-Air district. According to
witnesses, the clashes left around twenty people dead.
Other districts of the capital, Carrefour Péan and Delmas 24, were
also targeted by gang attacks. In the streets of Port-au-Prince,
residents have set up barricades to protect themselves. For several
weeks, kidnappings have been on the increase in Port-au-Prince and on
the main roads. Last week, a doctor and a justice of the peace were
kidnapped before being released on payment of a ransom.
Demonstrations against unrest
At the same time, anti-government demonstrations have been causing
disruptions across the country over the past several days, led by the
former police chief and politician Guy Philippe, who returned to Haiti
after serving a prison sentence in the USA for money laundering linked
to drug trafficking.
Demonstrators are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel
Henry, who has been in power since the assassination of President
Jovenel Moïse in 2021, criticizing him for not doing enough to deal with
the insecurity and the struggling economy.
