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world news Diabierna 17 December 2021

All from US missionary group freed in Haiti, police say

(AP) — The remaining “We’re feeling great,” said gang on Oct. 16. There were
members of a U.S. mis- Ron Marks, minister at Hart five children in the group
sionary group who were Dunkard Brethren Church of 16 U.S. citizens and one
kidnapped two months in Hart, Michigan, whose Canadian, including an
ago in Haiti have been members were among the 8-month-old. Their Haitian
freed, Haitian police and hostages. driver also was abducted,
the group said Thursday. according to a local human
Carleton Horst, a member rights organization.
The spokesman for Haiti’s of the Hart congregation,
National Police, Gary Desro- said church members re- Two of the hostages were
siers, confirmed to The Asso- ceived a text message Thurs- released in November,
ciated Press that the hostages day morning from “someone and three more earlier this
had been released, but did connected to the situation” month. They were not iden-
not immediately provide ad- that all of the hostages had tified, but members of the achieve,” said Congressman
ditional details. been released. Hart congregation told local Bill Huizenga, whose west- The leader of the 400 Ma-
media in Michigan that two ern Michigan congressional wozo gang had threatened
“We glorify God for answered A mother and four of her were from Hart. district includes Hart. to kill the hostages unless his
prayer — the remaining 12 children who belong to the demands were met. Authori-
hostages are FREE!” Chris- church were among the hos- In addition to Michigan, the “I want to thank members of ties have said the gang was
tian Aid Ministries said in a tages. Horst, who is friends hostages are from Wisconsin, the hostage negotiation team demanding $1 million per
statement. “Join us in prais- with the family, said the Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsyl- for their diligence in secur- person, although it wasn’t
ing God that all 17 of our church is rejoicing and he’s vania, Oregon and Ontario, ing the safe release of all the clear if that included the chil-
loved ones are now safe.” “elated that that portion of Canada, according to the hostages. This is a great day dren.
things is finally over, just missionary group. for families in Michigan and
The Ohio-based group said it praise the Lord for that.” across the nation who have It remained unclear Thurs-
hopes to provide more infor- “Today is the day we have been worried about the safety day whether any ransom was
mation later. The missionaries were kid- been hoping for, praying of their loved ones,” Huiz- paid or what efforts led to the
napped by the 400 Mawozo for, and working so hard to enga said. hostages’ freedom.

Jittery Ukrainian villagers ‘fear that a big war will start’

(AP) — Liudmyla Momot of the border could lead to an her there. dent Joe Biden and Putin de-
wipes away tears as she invasion or the resumption A 2015 peace agreement bro- cided last week to hold talks
searches for clothes and of full-scale hostilities. “We fear that a big war will kered by France and Germa- to discuss Russian concerns.
household items to sal- start. People are scared and ny ended large-scale battles,
vage from the ruins of her Rebels targeted Nevelske packed up their bags,” said but frequent skirmishes have The geopolitical threats reso-
home that was shelled by with shelling twice in the Momot, who collected some continued. The Organization nate in Nevelske on those
Russia-backed separatists last month, damaging or de- blankets, warm clothes and for Security and Cooperation few occasions that the vil-
in eastern Ukraine. stroying 16 of the village’s 50 other items in the debris. in Europe, which monitors lage has power, enabling its
houses and rattling the hand- the shaky cease-fire, has re- remaining residents to watch
Her village of Nevelske, ful of nervous residents who The conflict in the eastern ported an increasing number Russian television news.
northwest of the rebel-held remain. industrial heartland known as of such incidents, with both
city of Donetsk, is only about the Donbas erupted in April sides trading the blame for “We don’t want war!” ex-
3 kilometers (2 miles) from “The worse Ukraine-Russia 2014, weeks after Russia an- truce violations. claimed 75-year-old Kat-
the line of contact between relations are, the more we nexed the Crimean Penin- eryna Shklyar, who shares
the separatists and the Ukrai- simple people are suffering,” sula following the ouster of “The security situation along her fears with her husband,
nian military and has been said 68-year-old Momot, Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly the contact line is still of Dmytro. Their daughter and
emptied of all but five people. who has worked at a dairy former president. Ukraine concern, with a high level grandchildren live in nearby
farm all her life. and the West have accused of kinetic activity,” Mikko Krasnohorivka, a Ukrainian-
Small arms fire frequently Russia of supporting the reb- Kinnune, the OSCE repre- controlled western suburb of
is heard in the daytime, giv- Now with no home, “who els with troops and weapons, sentative for the group that Donetsk.
ing way to the booms of light could have imagined that? I but Moscow says that Rus- involves representatives of
artillery and mortar shelling was preparing for the winter, sians who joined the fight Ukraine, Russia and the reb- “For how long will this tor-
after dusk. stocking up coal and fire- were volunteers acting on els, said earlier this month. ment last?” asked Shklyar. “It
wood.” their own. has worn out our souls and
With the bloody conflict now Amid the recent Russian hearts. You can’t call that life,
more than seven years old, After the shell hit her house, More than 14,000 people troop buildup, Washington but we have no place to go.”
there are fears in Ukraine Momot fled to a nearby set- have been killed in fighting and its allies have warned
and the West that a buildup of tlement where her son lives. that has driven more than 2 Moscow that it will pay a Humanitarian groups pro-
armed forces on Russia’s side But the anxiety has followed million people from their high economic price if it at- vide basic supplies to Nev-
homes in the east. tacks Ukraine. Moscow de- elske and other villages and
nies having such intentions even try to offer housing in
When the conflict began, and accused Ukraine of plan- safer areas, but their resourc-
Nevelske had a population of ning to reclaim control of es are limited.
286. Now, the five older peo- rebel-held territory, some-
ple who remain in the ruined thing Kyiv has rejected, “I just survive each day, try-
village collect rainwater for ing to make it to the evening,
drinking and cooking. Be- Russian President Vladimir and my soul aches,” said
tween shipments of humani- Putin has urged the West Moroka, who has lost vision
tarian aid, they rely on eating to provide guarantees that in one eye but can’t get any
stale bread. NATO won’t expand to in- medical help.
clude Ukraine or deploy the
“We have grown accustomed alliance’s forces and weapons “We are frightened,” she
to the shelling,” said 84-year- there, calling that a “red line” added. “It’s really scary to sit
old Halyna Moroka, who has for Moscow. The U.S. and its here and wait for death. It’s
stayed in Nevelske with her allies have refused to make horrible!”
disabled son. such a pledge, but U.S. Presi-