Haiti Faces Surge in Kidnappings Amid Looming Elections

Kidnappings are escalating across Haiti, with gangs increasingly targeting high-profile individuals and carrying out mass abductions as the country works toward holding long-delayed presidential elections. At least 81 people were reported kidnapped between April and June, a 42% increase from the first quarter of the year, according to United Nations statistics.

Notable victims include James Boyard, the police inspector general and cabinet director of Haiti’s Defense Ministry, who was abducted in broad daylight in June and has not been released. Prominent attorney Caleb Jean-Baptiste and Stéphanie Paultre, director general of Haiti’s National Office for Educational Partnerships, have also been abducted.

The surge in kidnappings coincides with Haiti's preparations for its first general elections in over a decade. The nation has been without a president since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, a period marked by escalating violence.

"Elections act as accelerators," said Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. "Each of these cases draws international attention and puts pressure on every political actor in Haiti. It exposes cracks, failures and the state’s inability to protect even its own."

Many Haitians do not report abductions due to fear of reprisals, higher ransom demands, or interference with ongoing negotiations. In a rare public move, attorney Dorime Boulos organized a fundraiser in September to secure the release of Jean-Baptiste, citing the inability to meet the ransom amount requested.

Mass kidnappings began to rise around 2020, with 234 cases reported that year, a 200% increase from 2019. In 2020, the abduction and killing of high school student Évelyne Sincère sparked widespread protests demanding government action. Reported kidnappings increased significantly in subsequent years: 655 in 2021, 1,359 in 2022, and a peak of 2,490 in 2023, an 83% increase from the previous year. In 2024, at least 2,058 people have been reported kidnapped.

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has stated that restoring security is a top priority. The government is increasing police and military training, with 4,000 new police officers and 1,500 soldiers currently undergoing training. Haiti's National Police also announced that nearly a dozen officers have been trained in negotiation with kidnappers.

"We are strengthening our national forces to meet our security challenges," Fils-Aimé said. "Given the scale of the challenges, the support of our international partners for security remains essential."

The mandate of a UN-backed gang suppression force has been renewed, with its current strength of nearly 1,600 personnel expected to double soon. "Over the next three months, this will all pick up quite considerably," stated Daniela Kroslak, assistant secretary-general and head of mission of the UN Support Office in Haiti.

This summer, gangs attacked Kenscoff, a farming community near Port-au-Prince, resulting in at least 164 deaths and over 70 kidnappings, one of the largest mass abductions in recent history. While some children and women were released, many others remain captive.

In late September, gangs in the central town of Petite-Rivière held hundreds of civilians hostage for two days. The incident resulted in at least eight deaths and 10 injuries, with reports of civilians being shot while attempting to flee.

Experts suggest that criminal groups are increasingly using official or cloned police uniforms and vehicles to conduct abductions, with allegations of involvement by some law enforcement agents. The concentration of these abductions in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area indicates gangs are targeting areas previously considered safe. Le Cour noted that major waves of kidnappings often follow political instability, such as the fall of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004 and the assassination of President Moïse in 2021.

"No one is out of reach," Le Cour said. "These kidnappings send a message: the police cannot protect the population, and the state itself is vulnerable."