In a shocking escalation of gang violence, armed men seized James Boyard, the chief of staff to Haiti’s defence minister and inspector general of the police, in Port‑a‑Prince on Thursday. Boyard is a highly respected security expert tasked with rebuilding the island’s armed forces.
Both the Associated Press and the New York Times confirmed the abduction, noting that Boyard’s wife and six‑year‑old daughter were also taken. Sources said a ransom has been demanded.
The kidnapping marks the first time a top‑ranking security official has been abducted in Haiti in recent years, a country besieged by gang violence that has left thousands dead, injured and kidnapped.
Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, warned that kidnappings are increasingly occurring in areas of Port‑a‑Prince once considered safe, and that gang members target public officials and people with dual nationalities to secure larger ransoms or deter authorities from confronting gang‑controlled zones.
The multinational police force dispatched to Haiti has struggled to enter territories where gangs hold sway. This year, gang‑related violence has claimed at least 2,310 lives, injured 1,106 people and resulted in 99 kidnappings, according to a United Nations report.
The crisis has forced nearly 1.5 million Haitians into displacement, according to the UN migration agency.
Figures depicting the ongoing violence that fuels the country’s displacement crisis
