ARTICLE - RNDDH - INSECURITY

HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION ALARMED AT RISE OF INSECURITY
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) is deeply concerned by the rise of insecurity and organized violence in Haiti, particularly in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, at a time when the Haitian authorities talk about establishing a rule of law in the country.

For several months, RNDDH notes that the Haitian population is completely abandoned. Despite the fact that spectacular cases of murder, kidnapping, robbery, moving about aboard motorcycles followed by robberies, rapes, daily arson, the Haitian authorities do not seem to assess the magnitude of the situation with a view to develop appropriate responses.

It does not go a day without shooting, around the country, of automatic weapons fire. On a daily basis, citizens coming out of commercial banks are shadowed by gunmen on motorcycles. They are then beaten, shot and wounded or killed and their money taken away.

For the period January 1 to March 14, 2012, at least one hundred forty-seven (147) people were killed, of which one hundred thirty (130) were shot. Among the victims are listed five (5) police officers and one (1) former military.

Murders

On 13 January 2012, a Haitian military from the demobilized Armed Forces of Haiti (FAD'H), named Roc PRESENT, is riddled with bullets at the corner of Rue des Miracles and Dr. Aubry.

On 19 January 2012, Maxime Alcius, driver for Radio Metropole’s reporter, Anthony Lapeyre, died of his injuries after bandits opened fire on the journalist's car. The murder was perpetrated on the road to the Port-au-Prince International Airport.

January 19, 2012, Emmanuel ESPOIR, an engineer by training, was murdered on Rue Pavee.

On 23 January 2012, an unidentified individual was killed and six (6) were injured during a struggle for domination between two (2) gangs called Base Cameroon and Base 117, located on the Rue Saint-Martin, Bel-Air.

January 24, 2012, three (3) people died by gunfire in Port de Paix. They were Jean Odlin, Justice of the Peace in Port de Paix, Atila Dorelien and Heribert Lazarre.

January 28, 2012, Pierre Edmond DESERT, employee of the National School Canteen Program (PNCS), was injured by three (3) bullets, fired by individuals on a motorcycle. This attack was carried out on the Rue Charles Sumner.

January 28, 2012, Wilhelm PHILIPPE, a police officer assigned to the CAT TEAM, was shot dead on Rue Pavee by unidentified gunmen.

January 29, 2012, the detective Yves Menard, allocated to the Deputy Commissioner of Canapé-Vert, was shot and wounded after bandits opened fire on his vehicle on Route 9

January 30, 2012, the mutilated body of a young woman was found in Carrefour, in the area of the Christophe Chanel district.

February 8, 2012, Carlo PIERRE, owner of a depot of soft drinks, located at Avenue Magloire Ambroise, was shot several times. His attackers were gunmen on a motorcycle.

On 11 February 2012, CADET Tanya and her two (2) girls, Sabine CADET, and Judith PHILOGENE, were kidnapped in Jacmel (Breman) and murdered. Their bodies were found in Fauché, in the town of Grand-Goave.

On 14 February 2012, Edmond Pierre was assassinated in Mayard, in Jacmel, by gunmen.

February 15, 2012, Patrick CELESTIN, aged forty-one (41), a police officer, assigned to the Intervention Brigade motorized (BIM) was killed during an attack by gunmen traveling on a motorcycle. This attack occurred on Delmas 18. During discussions, another policeman named DOMINGO Retz was injured.

February 23, 2012, Angelo PIERRE-LOUIS, a police officer, was killed by gunmen while he was in Martissant. He was assigned to the SWAT TEAM.

On the night of 23 to 24 February 2012, a minor of twelve (12) years was abducted home by gunmen wearing the uniforms of the National Police.

February 24, 2012, an individual named Junior GASSANT, aka Jiji, was killed at the corner of Rue St-Nicolas and Avenue Magloire Ambroise.

February 24, 2012, the driver of a public bus is gunned down. A passenger aboard the vehicle is seriously injured during a robbery perpetrated by armed individuals. This incident took place on Rue St-Honore.

February 29, 2012, two (2) unidentified persons were shot dead. The same day, a young man is found dead at Portail Leogane.

On 3 March 2012, at Rue du Centre, Mario Labadie, JP at Croix-des-Bouquets, age forty (40), is shot and killed.

March 5, 2012, Jean-Liphète NELSON, aged thirty-eight (38) years, director of Radio Boukman, a community radio station in Cite Soleil on frequency 95.9 FM, is shot dead. His companion was also killed.

March 5, 2012, early in the morning, Mr. Jeanty R. DURAND, a lawyer practicing in Port-au-Prince, was shot and killed on the grounds of his residence, by gunmen.

March 6, 2012, JOSEPH Venel, former governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH), was murdered.

March 6, 2012, Wilner CAZEAU is shot and killed at Avenue Christophe.

March 9, 2012, Jean-Baptiste Jean-Philippe, aka Samba Boukman, was riddled with bullets on Delmas 95, in front of the school of his daughter. Samba Boukman is known to have been in 2004 as the spokesman for Operation Baghdad.

On 12 March 2012, a driver of the Port-au-Prince / Port de Paix route is murdered in the Port de Paix bus station in an armed attack.

On 12 March 2012, unidentified gunmen, traveling on three (3) motorcycles, opened fire against a stationary police patrol, based in La Saline. Officer Serge CASEUS died of his injuries on the way to hospital.

March 12, 2012, Justin ST VILIEN, a trader working in Gonaives, is shot and killed by gunmen.

Fire

Two (2) public markets, namely the Carton Market and the Tabarre market, were completely burned. A fire ignited in the Hyppolite Market was controlled before full consumption. In addition, other fires broke out around the country. Here are some examples:

On 8 February 2012, a fire ravaged the Argentina refuge camp, located on Rue Saint-Martin. Kimderline DAMUSTE, a two (2) years old girl, was burned. In addition, three hundred (300) shelters were completely destroyed.

On 24 February 2012, unidentified gunmen torched the public market of Tabarre.

On 26 February 2012, unidentified individuals set fire to an old house at the corner of the impasse of Lamartiniere and Lavaud. One person was killed. Another was injured.

On 11 March 2012, a fire destroyed part of the refuge camp located on the grounds of Lycee Toussaint Louverture. Nineteen (19) of thirty (30) tents in the camp were burned. Three (3) persons, including one (1) child, were killed.

On 13 March 2012, five (5) members of one family were murdered before being burnt in a fire that was started in a home located at Avenue N where they were.

Meanwhile, the RNDDH draws the attention of authorities to the existence of several heavily armed groups, including individuals claiming to be demobilized military. Most of them have problems with the judicial authorities, others are prison escapees. They are listed in Terriere-Rouge, Croix-des-Bouquets, Camp Coral, in Maïssade and Lamentin (Carrefour). They train regularly. In some parts of the country, they even establish fixed patrols, thus imposing their presence on the population.

RNDDH believes that these armed groups pose a serious and genuine threat to national security. Indeed, in many places, many of them are committed with national police officers in a struggle for supremacy with hostility.

RNDDH condemns with the utmost vehemence the laxity of state authorities against the relentless degradation of the country's security situation.

RNDDH considers that the issue of security is an important matter which should be handled seriously, with all due respect to citizens. In no case can it be converted to a personal matter, provided by the citizens themselves, as they are not owners of firearms or blunt weapons.

After all those considerations and facts, RNDDH direct the authorities concerned to:

- Immediately take all necessary measures to restore a livable situation in the country, particularly in Port-au-Prince and its surroundings;

- Strengthen the fixed and mobile patrols in Port-au-Prince and its neighborhoods;

- Control motorcycle stations, particularly those located near commercial banks;

- Encourage the country's commercial banks to encourage citizens to use banking services such as credit cards, debit cards, checks, and bank transfers, instead of cash;

- Arrest and prosecute every individual involved in the commission of those acts.