The 17 American and Canadian citizens kidnapped on Saturday east of the Haitian capital could be executed.
Joseph Wilson, the leader of the gang who kidnapped the group, expressed his threat in a video shot Wednesday, October 20 and shared Thursday on social networks.
"If I do not get what I need, I will kill these Americans", threatens Wilson Joseph in Creole, appearing in costume and surrounded by many armed men, all gathered in front of the coffins where the corpses of five members of the his gang who he said were killed by the police.
On Saturday, a group of missionaries and members of their families, 16 American citizens and one Canadian national, were abducted after visiting an orphanage located in the heart of the area under the control of this armed gang.
The religious organization Christian Aid Ministries, to which the abducted missionaries belong, said the group consisted of 12 adults, aged between 18 and 48, and five children, aged 8 months, 3, 6, 13 and 15 years old.
The kidnappers demand a ransom of $ 17 million for their release, security sources have confirmed to AFP who requested anonymity.
Risk area
Haiti is classified as a country in the red zone by the United States, which advises its nationals not to go there, in particular because of the numerous kidnappings of which "the victims regularly include American citizens".
Since December 2020, Wilson Joseph has been the subject of a search notice from the Haitian police for "murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, vehicle theft and hijacking of freight trucks".
In this context of growing gang influence, Prime Minister Ariel Henry decided Thursday to replace Léon Charles, the director general of the Haitian National Police (PNH), a source close to the Prime Minister told AFP, information that the PNH has not yet officially confirmed.
Long confined to poor districts of the capital, the armed gangs have, in recent months, extended their control, in particular blocking access to oil terminals.
>> To read also: "Who are the armed groups which terrorize Haiti?"
On Thursday, groups of motorcycle taxi drivers stepped up barricades across Port-au-Prince to protest the fuel shortage, caused by gangs and forcing them to stock up on the black market.
"I now buy gasoline between 1,000 and 1,500 gourdes (10 to 15 US dollars, Editor's note) per gallon" instead of the legal price of 201 gourdes, testified by getting angry a taxi-motorbike driver, who did not did not want to disclose his identity.
At the beginning of September, the armed bands hijacked more than a dozen tankers at the exit of the only terminal still partially accessible, among the three in the country.
Faced with the risk of seeing their employees sequestered and losing more than 15,000 euros in merchandise by truck, petroleum product distributors have almost suspended their activities.
With AFP
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