Last 12 of 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti released

The 12 remaining hostages of a group of North American missionaries kidnapped in Haiti were released, according to statements by their charity and Haitian national police on Thursday.

“We glorify God for answered prayer—the remaining twelve hostages are FREE!,” the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries wrote in a brief statement. “Join us in praising God that all seventeen of our loved ones are now safe.”

The short post on the organization’s website did not mention whether a ransom had been paid, or the physical conditions of the hostages. A source told The New York Times the 12 would be traveling to Miami, Fla. on Thursday afternoon.

The missionary group was made up of 16 Americans and one Canadian, and included one baby and four children. They were kidnapped in October by 400 Mawozo, a gang in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Five of the hostages had been released earlier.

The brazen kidnapping of non-Haitians underscores the power of criminal gangs in the country, a nation of 11 million still reeling from the aftermath of powerful earthquakes, the most recent of which hit in August. Haitian politicians have for years financed gangs to use as private military units against their foes, creating unrest or even directly threatening opponents.

After the assassination of President Jovenal Moïse in July, gangs rose to fill the power vacuum and began seizing control of different sections of the city. These territory disputes have exacerbated Haiti’s already acute economic and humanitarian crises by impeding the transfer of fuel, medical equipment, and other essential goods in the capital.

The power of the gangs has also deadlocked Haitian politics. The political parties have argued that Haiti cannot hold free and fair elections to replace Moïse unless the police retake control of the capital. However, trust in police is low because some units were implicated in Moïse’s assassination.

Gangs have increasingly resorted to kidnapping to finance themselves. Four hundred Mawozo had demanded $1 million per hostage.