Port-au-Prince - Saba:
Officials said nine people were kidnapped from an orphanage near the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, on Sunday, including its Irish director and a three-year-old child.
According to Agence France-Presse, the victims were kidnapped from the Sainte-Hélène orphanage in the town of Kenscoff, about 10 kilometers southeast of the capital. "The attackers stormed the orphanage around 3:30 a.m. (07:30 GMT) without firing any shots," said Macion Jean, the mayor of Kenscoff, describing it as a "planned attack." He continued, "They breached a wall to enter the compound before heading to the building where the director lives, leaving with nine hostages." In April 2021, two French nationals were kidnapped by the "400 Mauzo" gang before being released about three weeks later. The same gang was behind the kidnapping of 17 Americans and Canadians six months later.
Since the beginning of this year, Kenscoff has been targeted by the "Vive Ansanme" gang, which has taken control of the area and several other areas.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed that at least 3,141 people were killed in Haiti during the first half of this year, as the growing influence of gangs threatens to further destabilize the country.
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