ARTICLE - RADIO DIRECTOR MURDERED

RADIO BOUKMAN, CITE SOLEIL, DIRECTOR MURDERED
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The Director of Radio Boukman (95.9 MHz FM) in Cite Soleil, Jean Liphète Nelson, 38, died on Monday at a hospital, after being shot and wounded by unknown gunmen ,who had intercepted his vehicle in the neighborhood of Bois Neuf.

Three of the five people who were aboard the vehicle were seriously injured, informs Radio Kiskeya.

Mr. Nelson was attacked near the school, "Hands Together" (Men Ansanm), belonging to an NGO of which he was one of the leaders.

The motive for the crime is not known and no arrests have been made.

Radio Boukman was speaking particularly about issues of social content. For the past three years, it had become a tool in getting citizens involved in the decision-making in their own community.

This part of the city is notorious for crime and violence, and its reputation as a "no-go area" has not been helped by a series of confrontations between bandits and police.

Things were calming down in the area until the earthquake occurred, and some hardened criminals escaped, many to Cite Soleil.

Clashes have brought much harm to the peaceful population leading to the marginalization of the zone.

Radio Boukman has proven itself to be a stable presence working with organizations like the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and providing the production and broadcasting skills to get radio programing on air to the national audience.