Deal Negotiated For Pause In Kidnapping In Haiti

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Tues. May 11, 2021: A deal has reportedly been negotiated for a pause in kidnapping in Haiti between a commission for disarmament and two gangs there.

Le Nouvelliste newspaper, citing a source, reported that the National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantling and Reintegration (CNDDR) has struck a deal with the gangs of Grand-Ravine and Village-de-Dieu, two of the three main armed groups involved in kidnappings, to pause.

“After much negotiation, the armed groups of Grand-Ravine and Village-de-Dieu agree to take a break. They gave the guarantee that they would not carry out any act of kidnapping during this period, ”Le Nouvelliste quoted a source as saying.

It is unclear how long the break will be but so far, there has been no kidnappings in more than a week and all the people kidnapped have been released without any ransom paid.

“This action plan will allow the CNDDR to have the necessary means to apply the reintegration component which aims to build confidence among armed groups in order to achieve disarmament. You cannot disarm someone without giving them anything in return, ” a member of the CNDDR, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the paper.

Kidnappings in Haiti increased by 300% for the month of April 2021, when 91 cases of kidnapping were recorded against 27 cases last March, according to a report from the crime observation cell of the Center for Analysis and Research in human rights (CARDH).