Armed men in Haiti have kidnapped the defence minister's chief of staff, the highest‑ranking official to be abducted in the Caribbean nation’s recent violence‑shrouded period.
Top security official James Boyard, who also serves as inspector general of Haiti’s police, was seized in the island’s capital, Port‑au‑Prince, on Thursday.
Both the Associated Press and the New York Times confirmed the abduction via sources, and reported that Boyard’s wife and six‑year‑old daughter were also taken.
A ransom has allegedly been demanded, according to a person familiar with the case.
Boyard, a highly respected security expert, is chief of staff to Mario Andrésol who was appointed in March. He has been tasked with helping rebuild Haiti’s armed forces.
Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said kidnappings are increasingly occurring in areas of Port‑au‑Prince previously considered safe. He added that gang members are targeting public officials and people with double nationalities, likely to secure higher ransoms or deter authorities from confronting gang‑controlled zones.
Gang violence has ravaged the Caribbean country for years, and the multinational police force sent to contain it has struggled to enter areas where gangs hold sway.
The United Nations reported that this year alone gang‑related violence has resulted in at least 2,310 deaths, 1,106 injuries and 99 kidnappings. It has also caused record levels of displacement, with nearly 1.5 million Haitians without homes.
Such instability exerts pressure on Haiti’s fragile ecosystems. Refugees and displaced residents often move into surrounding forests and wetlands, accelerating deforestation and disrupting natural carbon sinks. Strengthening security and fostering climate resilience must therefore go hand‑in‑hand, ensuring that anti‑gang strategies protect both human lives and the environmental foundations upon which sustainable futures depend.
