Haiti struggles with rise in kidnappings as general election looms
U.N. data show 81 kidnappings from April to June, as gangs target high-profile victims and demand ransoms amid a security collapse.
- Gangs in Haiti are launching mass abductions concentrated in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area as the country prepares to hold its first general elections in over a decade.
- Mass-Scale kidnappings began around 2020, with cases surging 83% in 2023 as gangs increasingly use fake police uniforms and intelligence from collusion to target victims.
- Recent victims include police inspector general James Boyard, attorney Caleb Jean-Baptiste, and official Stéphanie Paultre, while gangs in Petite-Rivière killed at least eight people in late September.
- On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the U.N. Security Council renewed the Gang Suppression Force mandate; Daniela Kroslak, head of the U.N. Support Office in Haiti, said the 1,600-person force will likely double soon.
- Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé is training 4,000 new police officers this year to strengthen security, though experts warn elections act as accelerators for violence.
18 Articles
18 Articles
81 abductions were reported to have taken place between April and June, a 42% jump compared to the first quarter of 2026, according to the United Nations.
Kidnappings are on the rise again in Haiti. Between April and June, 81 people were abducted, a 42 percent increase from the first quarter. High-profile figures such as Police Inspector General James Boyard, lawyers Caleb Jean-Baptiste and Stephanie Poultre are among the targets. In Kenscoff, 164 people were killed and more than 70 kidnapped, while hundreds were held hostage for two days in Petite Rivière. In 2025, 1,268 cases were reported, but …
Haiti kidnappings rise ahead of elections as gangs target prominent figures
Kidnappings in Haiti are climbing again as gangs abduct officials, professionals and civilians before elections. The surge is exposing state weakness and deepening fear even in areas once seen as safe.
The Toronto Star
Haiti struggles with rise in kidnappings as general election looms
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Kidnappings are on the rise in Haiti, with gangs increasingly targeting high-profile people and launching mass abductions as the country pushes to hold long-awaited presidential elections.
Puerto Príncipe, Oct 1 (Latin Press) Haitian institutions and media today transmit complaints that reveal the country's concern about the increasing number of cases of children up to four years old who have disappeared, raped or died in the last three months.The post Concern in Haiti over abductions, rapes and deaths of children first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
Port-au-Prince (AP).- The rate of kidnappings is increasing in Haiti. Gangs are increasingly focused on high-profile people and carry out mass kidnappings while the country strives to hold long-awaited presidential elections. At least 81 people were reported as being abducted only between April and June, [...]
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