Two out of the 17 kidnapped US missionaries freed in Haiti

Two out of the 17 kidnapped US missionaries have been freed by the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti.

Christian Aid Ministries, an Ohio-based Church organization confirmed on Sunday. Out of the 17 missionaries, one was Canadian and the group mostly consists of women and families.

The organization has not identified those who have been released, nor added information as to why they were released and whether any demands were met.

Who are the victims?

The missionaries were in Haiti to help those affected by the earthquake and political turmoil.

They were abducted in October while making their way back to Port-au-Prince after leaving an orphanage outside the government-controlled capital.

Out of the 17 missionaries, 12 were adults with 7 being women. The youngest child abducted was reportedly just two years old. Apart from them, four more children are also among those abducted.

What were the demands?

The 400 Mawozo demanded a ransom of a million dollars for each hostage. It isn’t clear whether a ransom was paid for the release of the two hostages.

The gang is known for its abductions of international aid workers. It had kidnapped the Catholic clergy back in April and asked for a million dollars for their release. We are still unaware whether that ransom was paid.

The leader of the gang threatened to kill the missionaries

Just days after their abduction, the leader of the 400 Mawozo threatened to kill the hostages if the demands weren’t met.

In a video posted online, the leader threatened that he’ll “put a bullet in the heads of these Americans.”

I swear by THUNDER that if I don’t get what I’m asking for, [then] I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans

The 400 Mawozo gang leader threatened.

You guys make me cry, I cry water, but I am going to make you guys cry blood

He concluded while having a gold chain around his neck.

The US did not publicly respond to the threats but the FBI was working closely with Haitian authorities to free the hostages.

What’s happening in Haiti?

Political uncertainty is growing in Haiti since the assassination of its President. The country has become a breeding ground for gangs looking to capture more districts and kidnap international aid workers so they could ask for massive ransoms.

Haiti has one of the World’s highest abduction rates, and the authorities have no control over the country’s outer districts.

The Haitian government is trapped inside the major cities. Government officials refrain from going into the outer regions which are considered no-go areas.

Various gangs are ruling the outer regions of the country, and are slowly gaining control of the capital as well.

Haiti depends on international aid to survive, but with unsafe conditions for international aid workers, things are only going to get worse for the country.

The US has urged all of its citizens to leave the country because of the deepening political crisis which may lead to more bloodshed.

Many Haitians have called on the US to send in troops to eliminate the gangs, but any troop deployment is highly unlikely. The US has learned that if the people are unwilling to bring change then it can do nothing to help.

The US could deploy troops to wipe out the gangs, but once we leave after establishing a new form of government, we would only be cursed at, as the people did not themselves bring a change from the roots.

Can Haiti’s government regain control?

Things are not looking good for the country, as its Prime Minister was accused of getting the President assassinated. He however, has denied the allegation, but this means that the political landscape of the country would remain nonexistent.

The government has lost public support. In fact, the entire system has lost it, and the nonexistence of the political landscape is only creating more turmoil along with an opportunity for the various gangs to cash in on.

With a nonexistent government, and rampant corruption, the country is only surviving on foreign aid.

With international aid workers also being abducted, the country may soon collapse. The only way to avoid that is if the system somehow regains control and the trust of the people. It somehow develops ways to work on the wellbeing of its people and works on the elimination of the huge humanitarian crisis and the various gangs happily doing business.