Christian Aid Ministries have confirmed that a Canadian is among 17 missionaries of the group that were recently kidnapped in Haiti when they were leaving an orphanage.
According to a statement on the Ministries’ website, the Christian Aid Ministries, a group that includes 16 U.S. citizens, comprises five men, seven women, and five children.
Global Affairs Canada disclosed that Canadian government officials in Haiti are liaising with local authorities and charged NGOs “to gather more information.”
The agency said: “The Government of Canada’s priority is always the safety and security of its citizens,” and added that owing to the provisions of the Privacy Act, “no further information can be disclosed.”
Christian Aid Ministries revealed that the missionaries were on their way home after building an orphanage when they were kidnapped.
The Christian Aid Ministries refers to itself on its website as “a trustworthy and efficient channel for Amish, Mennonite, and other conservative Anabaptist groups and individuals to minister to physical and spiritual needs around the world.”
Haitian police have accused a notorious gang known as ‘400 Mawozo,’ known for its high-level kidnappings and killings.
While talking to The Associated Press, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne said the 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group in Ganthier, a community located east of the capital of Port-au-Prince.
According to authorities, the gang, whose name means 400 “inexperienced men,” has a reputation for carrying out kidnappings, carjackings extorting business owners in the area.
Crime rate has increased in Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
