Armed men kidnap high-ranking Haitian security official and his family
Armed men in Haiti kidnapped the defence minister's chief of staff, James Boyard, along with his wife and six-year-old daughter in Port-au-Prince on Thursday. It is the highest-profile kidnapping in the violence-ravaged country in recent years.
Boyard, who also serves as inspector general of Haiti's police, was seized in the capital. A ransom has been demanded, according to the New York Times citing a person familiar with the case. The Associated Press and the New York Times confirmed the abduction through sources.
Boyard, a highly respected security expert, was appointed chief of staff to Mario Andrésol, who took office in March. He was tasked with helping rebuild Haiti's armed forces. Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told AP that kidnappings are increasingly occurring in areas of Port-au-Prince once considered safe. He noted that gang members have been targeting people with dual nationality and public officials, possibly seeking larger ransoms or trying to deter authorities from attacking gang-controlled areas where hostages are held.
Gang-related violence has killed at least 2,310 people, injured 1,106, and led to 99 kidnappings so far this year, according to the United Nations earlier this month. The violence has also caused record displacement, with nearly 1.5 million people left homeless, per the UN migration agency.
