In brief
The chief of staff to Haiti’s defense minister and the country’s top police inspector, James Boyard, was kidnapped on Thursday in Port‑au‑Prince, the highest‑ranking official taken amid the nation’s worst gang crisis. Sources say his wife and six‑year‑old daughter were also seized, and a ransom demand has been issued. Boyard plays a key role in rebuilding Haiti’s armed forces and his capture has highlighted the growing threat of kidnappings across the capital’s once‑safe zones. Gang violence in Haiti has already claimed thousands of lives this year and displaced nearly one‑and‑a‑half million people, according to the United Nations.
On Thursday, armed men seized James Boyard – the chief of staff to Defence Minister Mario Andrésol and Inspector General of Haiti’s police – at the heart of Port‑au‑Prince. His wife and six‑year‑old daughter were also taken, according to the Associated Press and the New York Times.
Boyard has been instrumental in rebuilding the country’s armed forces. A ransom demand is now circulating, raising alarms about the volatility of security forces in a city that has been hit by frequent gang attacks.
The kidnapping underscores a surge in hostage‑taking by gangs, who now target officials with dual nationalities and public servants in areas once considered safe. Analysist Diego Da Rin for the International Crisis Group reports that this trend may be aimed at maximizing ransoms or discouraging police action in gang‑controlled zones.
According to United Nations data, 2,310 deaths, 1,106 injuries and 99 kidnappings were recorded in Haiti this year – a figure that includes Boyard’s case. The violence has also displaced about 1.5 million residents, pushing the nation into a humanitarian crisis.
