Two of 17 abducted members of a missionary group have been freed in Haiti and are safe, “in good spirits and being cared for,” their Ohio-based church organisation said Sunday.
Christian Aid Ministries officials did not provide or confirm the names of the missionaries released, the reasons for their release, where they are from or their location. In the Nov. 21 statement posted on its website, the ministry urged discretion to protect those still in the hands of the gang.
“Only limited information can be provided, but we are able to report that the two hostages who were released are safe, in good spirits, and being cared for,” the organization wrote.
A gang called 400 Mawozo kidnapped the Christian Aid Ministries members in the Croix-des-Bouquets area near Port-au-Prince on Oct.16. The group of hostages — which included five children, one 8-month-old infant, and other youngsters aged 3, 6, 14 and 15 years old — sparked international disbelief for its brazenness and choice of foreign victims.
The gang demanded a ransom of $1 million per person — a total of $17 million for the group of 16 Americans and one Canadian.
Three days after the kidnappings, Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel said the FBI and Haitian police were in contact with the kidnappers and seeking the release of the missionaries.
It was not immediately clear how much money, if any, was paid in the release of the two hostages.
