24994: Wharram (News) - Agence France Presse - Indian and Russian kidnapped in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Bruce Wharram <bruce.wharram@sev.org>

 Indian and Russian kidnapped in Haiti: UN mission

Wed May 4, 8:58 PM ET

Gangs have kidnapped an Indian and a Russian in Haiti, the UN peacekeeping
mission in the troubled Caribbean state said.

The Russian male, who worked as a contractor helping the UN force, and the
Indian businessman, were both seized in the last 24 hours, said Damien Anses
Cardona, a spokesman for the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

They are the first foreigners to be kidnapped here since the former
government of president Jean Bertrand Aristide collapsed in February 2004.

A ransom is being asked for the Russian by unknown kidnappers, said Cardona.

The UN troops are "not involved directly in talks," he said.

Earlier Wednesday, a Haitian schoolteacher was also seized. Sporadic acts of
violence have continued to mar Haiti since Aristide fled into exile.

Also Wednesday, Haitian business leaders issued a statement calling for
"different sectors of the population to mobilize in the face of mounting
insecurity."

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information
contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France
Presse.
Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.