A priest tells the story of his kidnapping in Haiti

A French priest, who was kidnapped by the Haitian Mauzu 400 gang last April, recounts his terrifying experience.

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“There were several of us and we had to pass through Croix-des-Bouquets to get to an event. On the way we were stopped by armed young men and followed by a driver. That’s when we realized we were kidnapped. I kept my cool,” Father Michel Briand said in an interview with CNN.

The hostages were initially moved to a more rural area, and forced to sleep outside, on pieces of cardboard wedged under a tree.

They were then taken to an abandoned house, and then to another house. He admits that conditions were difficult.

“It was as if it was in a black hole, in a dungeon, the last place where we had no windows. At first they would give us food once a day, but in the end they stopped feeding us. They starved us, I think, as a negotiating tactic,” he recalls. pastor.

Altogether, the abduction of Father Michel Briand and his colleagues lasted nearly three weeks.

“The kidnappers play with time. They play on people’s nerves, especially when negotiating,” he told CNN.

Father Michel Briand stresses that the seventeen missionaries, including Kennedy, who were kidnapped last Saturday east of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, must remain optimistic at all costs.

“Victims cannot lose faith. They must maintain hope. For us, our hope has been our best ally.”

The kidnappers demanded a ransom of $17 million in exchange for their release.