5 Turkish citizens are still kidnapped by “400 Mawozo”

Three women, who were part of a group of eight Turkish citizens kidnapped on May 8 in Haiti by a gang, have been released due to health problems, said the operator of the bus in which they were traveling before being kidnapped.

They were “released this weekend for health reasons, because they were sick,” Michaëlle Durandis, representative of the Metro bus company, told AFP.

The bus, which was leaving the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, bound for Port-au-Prince, was diverted from its route in Haiti by one of the most powerful gangs in the country, shortly after crossing the border. Twelve people were on board: eight Turks, three Haitians and a Dominican.

The Turks, aged 20 to 26, are members of an educational and religious association present in the country since 2019 which offers language and Muslim education courses, according to their website.

The two transport company employees, a Haitian and the Dominican driver, were released less than a week after the kidnapping.

The two Haitian passengers were also released. for an unknown ransom, reported Durandis, who did not specify the date of their release.

“The kidnappers still have the five Turkish men and are still in possession of the company bus,” the spokeswoman said.

Haitian gangs are hitting the country hard: in May, at least 200 kidnappings were recorded by the UN, particularly in Port-au-Prince.

One of the most powerful is the “400 Mawozo”, which for several years has controlled the area where the Turkish citizens were abducted.