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Canadian-American husband and wife and nine others kidnapped in western Haiti
Four Americans and a Canadian are being held hostage by bandits in western Haiti, local government officials have said.
Haitian army spokesman Guy Bourbeau said on Saturday that helicopters were dispatched to the area, and in a statement the US embassy said: “A US embassy team was providing humanitarian assistance and security support to help bring stability to the region.”
The BBC reports the incident happened on Friday near where the first US hospital in Haiti opened four years ago, not far from the border with the Dominican Republic.
Guillaume Daniel, from the Ca Dijon municipality near Port-au-Prince, confirmed seven men and two women were abducted near a settlement called Le Guillot, a “northern mountain town”.
The incident occurred when a group of about 20 men, apparently from the area, carrying guns and machetes entered the area and kidnapped the American and Canadian missionaries.
Two local residents, Radio DJ Boss Co-Director Pierre-Daniel and Charles Beloem, told the BBC that one of the missionaries, Joel Burchett, called his wife and told her: “Where were you when it happened?”
“He also said that they took their money but the kidnappers left their phones in the car,” added David Pickens, whose girlfriend is one of the Americans taken hostage.
“For the moment I think they are being looked after in a house nearby,” he added.
The US embassy said in a statement: “It is important to remember that Haiti continues to make progress despite enduring ongoing violence and other challenges.
“Unfortunately, violent acts against foreign nationals continue to occur throughout the country, and we remain focused on our commitment to protecting US citizens and offering appropriate consular assistance.”
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