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A group of North American missionaries have been kidnapped near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Officials say they are being held by the 400 Mawozo gang - also blamed for the kidnap of Catholic clergy in April. The five men, seven women and five children were returning from a visit to an orphanage when they were abducted on Saturday.

Haiti has one of the highest rates of kidnapping in the world. More than 600 kidnappings have been recorded in the first three quarters of 2021, compared with 231 over the same period last year, according to a local civil society group.

Pascale Solages, a Haitian anti-corruption activist, says that kidnappings occur at all levels of society, and that the gangs have more influence and resources than the police, and that even the government needs to pay the gangs for access to local neighbourhoods.

"The government has lost control of the country. The gangs have more money, more guns, more resources than the police. Even the distribution of fuel is controlled by the gangs."

Photo: Stock image of a church, Jacmel, Haiti Credit: Getty Images

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