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| - Anger has been rising over increased gang violence and political instability in Haiti, drawing protesters onto the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince in recent weeks. Tensions were piqued at the weekend with the abduction of seven Catholic clergy, and on Wednesday the government resigned in a change aimed at tackling the insecurity. Here is a snapshot of developments in recent days: Ten people are abducted on Sunday in Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune northeast of Port-au-Prince, including seven Catholic clergy -- five of them Haitian and two French. The kidnappers demand a million-dollar ransom for the group. The next day Haiti's Catholic Church warns of the restive island's "descent into hell" and slams government inaction over the kidnappings. "For some time now, we have been witnessing the descent into hell of Haitian society," says the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, adding that "violence by armed gangs" is taking on "unprecedented" proportions. In March, the government had declared a month-long state of emergency to restore state authority in gang-controlled areas, including in the capital. Authorities suspect an armed gang called "400 Mawozo" is behind the abduction, according to a police source. Paris opens an investigation for "kidnapping and sequestration in an organized gang." Haiti's President Jovenel Moise on Monday vows to do more to combat the country's "scourge" of kidnappings. "I am aware that the state must make more of an effort in the battle against this disaster that is kidnapping and organized crime in the country," he says. On Wednesday Moise announces that the government has resigned and Claude Joseph has been appointed as the new prime minister. Moise says the change will make it possible to address the insecurity problem and seek the necessary consensus for political and institutional stability. burs-eab/jmy/dl
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