The 12 remaining missionaries kidnapped in October by a notorious gang in Haiti have been freed, police and officials with Christian Aid Ministries said Thursday.
Seventeen people were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16, while they were on a trip to visit an orphanage about 90 minutes from the group’s base outside Port-au-Prince, according to The Washington Post and officials with Christian Aid Ministries. Sixteen Americans and one Canadian were among those kidnapped. The hostages included five children, one as young as 8 months old, and the group’s Haitian driver, The Associated Press reported.
Five of the hostages had been released in recent weeks. On Thursday, officials with Christian Aid Ministries announced the release of the remaining hostages and thanked people for their “fervent prayers throughout the past two months.”
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“We glorify God for answered prayer – the remaining twelve hostages are FREE,” officials with the Ohio-based nonprofit wrote in a statement posted online Thursday. “Join us in praising God that all seventeen of our loved ones are now safe.”
Police spokesperson Gary Derosier told Reuters that authorities found the group on a mountain called Morne a Cabrit. He declined to provide further information about the discovery.
>> Related: U.S. missionaries among 17 kidnapped in Haiti; officials blame 400 Mawozo gang
Earlier, 400 Mawozo had demanded $1 million in return for the release of each kidnapping victim, the Post reported. The leader of the group had threatened to kill the hostages if his demands went unmet, according to the AP.
It was not immediately clear whether any ransom was paid.
Gangs have presented a growing problem in Haiti, particularly since the assassination in July of President Jovenel Moise, Reuters reported. In recent months, 400 Mawozo has carried out mass kidnappings of buses and cars, according to the Post. The group has become notorious for targeting religious groups that were previously considered “off limits,” the newspaper reported.
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