Justice Minister Liszt Quitel said on Tuesday that the gang that abducted 17 members of a U.S.-based Christian aid organization in Haiti on Saturday wants a $1 million ransom for each person taken hostage.
According to Quitel, who spoke to The New York Times by phone, "The demand was made to the country chief of the Christian Aid Ministries - they asked for $1 million per person. Often these gangs know these demands cannot be met and they will consider a counteroffer from the families, and the negotiations can take a couple of days sometimes, or a couple of weeks."
In a statement released on Sunday, Christian Aid Ministries said that those abducted included six men, six women and five children, with 16 being Americans and one Canadian.
According to the Christian Post, the 400 Mazowo gang, whose name loosely translates to "inexperienced men," is renowned for its heinous murders, kidnap for ransom operations, and extortion of businesses.
Hart Dunkard Brethren Church minister Ron Marks, who spoke to the Detroit News on Monday, explained that members of his congregation are among those abducted.
Marks refused to name them, but he did say that the youngest member is under the age of 10.
He also told the outlet that his family's main emphasis was on God and His providence to see them through the crisis.
In a Monday update, Christian Aid Ministries expressed gratitude to the public for their support and prayers for the missionaries' rescue. It also asked for prayers for the abductors.
"We greatly appreciate the prayers of believers around the world, including our many Amish and Mennonite supporters. The Bible says, 'The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much' (James 5:16). Join us in prayer that God's grace would sustain the men, women, and children who are being held hostage," the Ohio-based group stated.
Christian Aid Ministries then explicitly asked for prayers for the hostages "find strength to demonstrate God's love."
"The kidnappers, like all people, are created in the image of God and can be changed if they turn to Him," it continued. "While we desire the safe release of our workers, we also desire that the kidnappers be transformed by the love of Jesus, the only true source of peace, joy, and forgiveness."
On Tuesday, Christian Aid Ministries revealed that the adults being kept prisoner are between the ages of 18 and 48. The children, on the other hand, are between the ages of 8 months and 15 years.
"Pray that our workers could respond to hatred with Jesus' love, overcome the spirit of fear with faith, and face violence with a genuine desire to bless their oppressors," states the prayer request.
Additionally, they asked prayers for the Haitian and American civil officials who are attempting to settle the crisis.
Before the abduction, the group's efforts in Haiti included helping thousands of poor students, Bible and Christian material distribution, giving medications for many clinics, training Haitian pastors, and providing meals for the aged and needy. Since August 2021, they've also been actively engaged in organizing a reconstruction effort for earthquake victims who lost their houses.
Please pray for the Christian missionaries abducted in Haiti.
