A man and woman, both cradling children, are seen walking on the grounds of the Christian Aid Ministries headquarters in Titanyen, Haiti, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 11:33 AM PT – Friday, October 22, 2021
U.S. officials are working with Haitian authorities to seek the release of a group of American missionaries who were kidnapped by a notorious Haitian gang. Haitian police on Sunday said the U.S. based missionary group was abducted by the 400 Mawozo Gang, noting U.S. authorities were reaching out to the gang regarding the group’s release.
“We have in the administration been relentlessly focused on this, including sending a team to Haiti from the State Department, working very closely with the FBI, which is the lead in these kinds of matters, in constant communication with the Haitian National Police, the church that the missionaries belong to, as well as the Haitian government. And we will do everything that we can to help resolve the situation,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
The 400 Mawozo, which loosely translates as the “400 Simpletons,” kidnapped 16 American missionaries and one Canadian missionary that were visiting an orphanage outside the capital Port Au Prince. Wilson Joseph, the gang’s leader, released a video Thursday saying he won’t hesitate to kill the mission group if he doesn’t get the $17 million ransom he’s demanding.
“I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans.”
The leader of Haiti’s 400 Mawozo gang has released a video threatening to kill 17 kidnapped missionaries if a ransom is not paid.
Read more: https://t.co/JB0sevYLRv pic.twitter.com/eC6jCNkctQ
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 22, 2021
Locals said the abduction fosters fear throughout the nation hindering commerce.
“When we hear (there is a kidnapping), the effect of the kidnapping, (we know) there’s not going to be (good for) drivers,” explained Charles Pierre, a motorcycle taxi driver. “People do not go out in the streets. We can not find people to transport. We have a wife (and) four to five children, and a family, children. (We) have responsibilities at home.”
The gang is responsible for a number of violent kidnappings and extortion plots throughout the impoverished nation over the last few years, including the kidnapping of five priests and two nuns earlier this year. In response, a State Department spokesman said the “welfare and safety” of U.S. citizens abroad is their highest priority.
The White House gave an update on efforts to get American missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti back home. On Monday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the FBI is leading the charge on efforts to see that 17 missionaries from the U.S.-based Christian Aid Ministries are returned to safety. She added, Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the matter.
“The President has been briefed and is receiving regular updates on what the State Department and the FBI are doing to bring these individuals home safely,” Psaki stated.
The press secretary noted that due to operational considerations, she was not going to go into too much detail about the rescue strategy at this time. However, she did confirm there has been engagement with the 400 Mawozo gang and local authorities are assisting in the matter.
Joseph has also threatened Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the Chief of Haiti’s National Police Leon Charles as he spoke in front of the open coffins of five recently killed gang members.
“You guys make me cry. I cry water. But I’m going to make you guys cry blood,” said Joseph. “By killing five of my soldiers it doesn’t mean he’s going to destroy my army.”
The identities of the missionaries have not been released at this time, but five of them are confirmed to be children. The five children range from ages eight-months to 15-years-old.
Please join me in praying for the protection and safe return of the U.S. missionaries kidnapped in Haiti.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 17, 2021
On Thursday, Weston Showalter of Christian Aid Ministries read a letter from the hostage’s families who thanked the public for their prayers and actually thanked God for the situation in which their family members find themselves.
“God has given our loved ones the unique opportunity to live out our Lord’s command to love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,” it read.
The families have asked God to keep their loved ones strong in their faith, and to bring them home when their mission is complete.
