Senior official in Haiti government kidnapped amidst ramping gang violence

The Secretary-General of Haiti's High Transition Council (HCT) has been reported kidnapped by heavily armed individuals.

As reported by Reuters, this information was confirmed by Mirlande Manigat, the head of the council which was tasked with creating a roadmap for upcoming elections in Haiti, where there had not ben elections since 2016, and it has been without elected representatives since January.

The Caribbean country is currently facing a humanitarian crisis due to the influence of powerful gangs that control significant parts of the capital and have been responsible for numerous kidnappings.

Reports suggest that Secretary Saint-Pierre was abducted around noon in the Debussy neighborhood of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The kidnappers were reportedly heavily armed and dressed as police officers.

Approximately a year ago, Prime Minister Ariel Henry's government requested urgent international assistance to support the under-resourced police in combating the gangs. Despite a United Nations resolution passed earlier this month, the deployment of such a force has not yet materialized.