Haitian Gang Releases All Christian Missionary Hostages

The Haitian 400 Mawozo gang has released the last 12 Christian missionary hostages just a little over two months after their kidnapping.

In an announcement on Thursday, the Ohio-based religious group Christian Aid Ministries praised God for delivering their Christian brethren out of harm’s way. The organization said:

We glorify God for answered prayer—the remaining twelve hostages are FREE! Join us in praising God that all seventeen of our loved ones are now safe. Thank you for your fervent prayers throughout the past two months. We hope to provide more information as we are able.

The safety of the hostages was also confirmed to NBC News by Haiti National Police Spokesman Gary Desrosiers.

In October, the 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped 17 Christian missionaries in the Ganthier commune in the suburb of Port-au-Prince. Sixteen were American citizens with one Canadian – six men, six women, and five children. As Breitbart News reported at the time:

A bus carrying the 12 adults and 5 children — including an 8-month-old baby — was hijacked as it made its way home from an orphanage outside Port-au-Prince.

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang — a violent group with a history of killings, kidnappings, and extortion — threatened to kill his captives if his demands are not met, which include the payment of $1,000,000 for each of them.

The missionary group remained steadfast in its support of the hostages, regularly calling on supporters to pray and fast for their safety.

“You may wonder why our workers chose to live in a difficult and dangerous context, despite the apparent risks,” the statement said. “Before leaving for Haiti, our workers who are now being held hostage expressed a desire to faithfully serve God in Haiti.”

“Pray that their commitment to God could become even stronger during this difficult experience,” Christian Aid Ministries said at the time.

Missionaries were slowly released as the weeks went on; two in November and another three earlier this month.

Due to the increased instability in Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July, the United States and Canadian governments have urged their citizens to leave and avoid the island country.