Haiti: Kidnapping victim from Bahamas Embassy in Port-au-Prince released Sept. 23

Event

The Bahamian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported the release of a kidnapped worker at their embassy in Port-au-Prince Sept. 23. Armed assailants kidnapped the embassy staff, who is a Haitian local, at approximately 06:00 Sept. 2 at a bank machine. Authorities do not believe the kidnapping is related to the employee's work at the embassy. No further details are available surrounding the incident or who was responsible. However, a number of gangs in Port-au-Prince have been prominent in kidnapping both locals and foreigners over the past several months.

Context

The threat of kidnapping in Haiti is high, fueled by the presence of heavily armed gangs and the poor economic and security situations in the country, amid which gangs are attempting to force the resignation of the prime minister. Although kidnappers are most likely to target locals, foreign nationals are also targets. The most common types of kidnapping in Haiti include basic, opportunistic kidnapping-for-ransom, express kidnapping, and virtual kidnapping. Foreign victims are usually released unharmed and relatively quickly; however, local victims face a threat of injury or death during confinement. The kidnapping threat is most acute in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien.