Key facts
- James Boyard, Haiti's Defence Ministry cabinet director and police inspector general, was kidnapped by armed men.
- Boyard is the highest-ranking official to be abducted in Haiti in recent years.
- The kidnapping occurred on Thursday in Port-au-Prince.
- Boyard's wife and daughter were also taken.
- A ransom has been requested.
- Gang violence has led to thousands of deaths and injuries this year, displacing nearly 1.5 million people.
Armed men have kidnapped James Boyard, the cabinet director of Haiti's Defence Ministry and inspector general of the national police, marking the highest-profile abduction in the gang-ridden Caribbean nation in recent years. Boyard was seized on Thursday in Port-au-Prince. His wife and six-year-old daughter were also taken, and a ransom has been requested, according to sources familiar with the case.
Boyard, described as a highly respected security expert, was tasked with helping rebuild Haiti's armed forces. His abduction highlights the pervasive insecurity in Haiti, where gang violence has escalated significantly. An analyst noted that gangs are increasingly targeting public officials and individuals with dual nationalities, potentially seeking higher ransoms or aiming to deter authorities from attacking gang-controlled territories.
So far this year, gang-related violence has resulted in at least 2,310 deaths and 1,106 injuries, according to the United Nations. The violence has also caused record levels of displacement, with nearly 1.5 million people now without a place to live.