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Haiti defense ministry cabinet chief kidnapped by armed men
🇩🇰 Denmark /Conflict & Security

Haiti defense ministry cabinet chief kidnapped by armed men

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Armed men kidnapped James Boyard, the cabinet chief of Haiti's Ministry of Defense, on Thursday in Port-au-Prince.
  • Boyard is the highest-ranking official abducted in Haiti in recent years and also oversees Haitian police.
  • The kidnapping occurred in the Bourdon area, which is considered relatively safe, and it is unclear who is responsible or if a ransom is demanded.

Haiti's defense ministry cabinet chief, James Boyard, was kidnapped by armed men on Thursday in Port-au-Prince. The abduction occurred in the Bourdon area, a neighborhood generally considered safe, highlighting the pervasive insecurity gripping the capital.

Boyard holds a significant position, overseeing Haitian police and serving as the most senior official to be kidnapped in recent years. His disappearance adds to the country's ongoing struggles with widespread poverty, political instability, and economic collapse, exacerbated since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

Over 70 percent of Port-au-Prince is believed to be under the control of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition, which the United States designated as a terrorist organization last year. It remains unclear who is behind Boyard's kidnapping or if a ransom has been demanded, according to AP.

Boyard is the most high-ranking official to be kidnapped in Haiti in recent years.

— APReporting on the significance of James Boyard's abduction.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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