2 hostages released in Haiti, Ohio-based Christian group says

Christian Aid Ministries said Sunday that two of its 17 missionaries abducted in Haiti last month have been released.

A spokesman for the organization declined to comment beyond what the group posted on its website.

"We cannot provide or confirm the names of those released, the reasons for their release, where they are from, or their current location," the statement said. "We ask that those who have more specific information about the release and the individuals involved would safeguard that information."

Over a month ago, 17 members of Christian Aid Ministries, including eight children, were taken while traveling from an orphanage where the group provided relief to children. A person believed by Haitian authorities to be a member of the 400 Mawozo gang used social media to claim responsibility for the kidnapping.

Local authorities reported that the gang was demanding $1 million per person. A video circulated in recent days threatened the execution of the abducted missionaries if the demand isn't not met.

It's uncommon for gangs that proliferate under a weak Haitian government to hold hostages for more than a month. And humanitarian groups are concerned about the rise of abductions this past year, particularly those involving children and women.

Though the U.S. government position does not include paying ransoms, some observers see the release of two hostages as a reminder of the difficult negotiations between U.S. and Canadian government officials and Haitian gang members.

"I think this is a good sign, as the negotiations were complex due to the demands of the kidnappers," Gèdèon Jean, executive director of the Centre d’analyse et de recherche en droits de l’homme, a Haitian nonprofit organization that tracks poverty, kidnappings and humanitarian work in Haiti, told the Beacon Journal.

Jean's organization keeps a database of people who are kidnapped in Haiti.

This is the first time that hostages have been held for more than a month, he said.

"We know the US government is used to dealing with complex kidnappings in other countries," he said. "We believe that they will obtain the release of the 15 others. We share the pain of the relatives of the American victims."

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, unable to recover on its own from devastating hurricanes and earthquakes.

The country lacks viable water, electrical and other infrastructure. International exploitation and meddling — from the country's origin as a slave colony that revolted to the U.S. Marine occupations — has perpetuated political turmoil. Numerous presidents have been assassinated or exiled in the past century, often stirring a lack of confidence by Haitians in free and fair elections.

This year, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July. Gangs like G9, which has prevented humanitarian workers from retrieving fuel for hospital generators, have called for the immediate resignation of his successor. In August, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake killed at least 2,000 people and toppled 70% of schools on the country's southern coast, according to UNICEF.

Though the organization paused its work in 2019 and 2020 amid growing safety concerns, Christian Aid Ministries has been active in Haiti since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed more than 200,000 people in 2010, leaving many children orphaned.

The organization has not agreed to interviews and has not answered questions from the media throughout the ongoing hostage crisis. Instead, the religious group posts almost daily updates praising the amount of prayers they've received during the crisis.

"We encourage you to continue to pray for the full resolution of this situation," the organization said Sunday. "While we rejoice at this release, our hearts are with the fifteen people who are still being held. Continue to lift up the remaining hostages before the Lord."

Reach Doug Livingston at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 2 of 17 Haiti hostages released, Ohio church group says