SEPTEMBER BLOOD

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THE NIGHT OF THE KILLERS

J. B.Aristide

What  had remained from Sylvio Claude

September 29, 1991 seems to have been the fourth night of fire in Haitian history.

That night dozens died, mostly killed by violent mob. Not accidentaly, because it was an announced death series.

Long time before, indeed, as months went by and  Jean Bertrand Aristide, the serving president feeling  uncomfortable with the Haitian  establishment,  he decided to step forward in his killing saga. At the main jail in the country, the Penitencier National, Dr Roger Lafontant and his men were still a threat to his emerging power.  Josel, a  young officer  was approached and asked to have a way or another way Dr Lafontant assassinated.  Worried  about  such a deadly project,  Josel went to see his general Raoul Cedras.

"Remember, general Cedras told him, you’re a soldier and you have  to stand  by the military code.' 

Josel  felt reassured. But, he didn’t survive .  A few weeks later, his body was found in the streets.

Later on, on the 19 September  1991 prisoners waked up at night around 1.00 AM. Two strange visitors, dressed in black and barefoot, came to invite Dr Roger Lafontant to move out. “you’re free . come with us” Lafontant was said. But, as voices from everywhere in the Penitencier were shouthing: assassins! assassins! The visitors ran away . Dr Lafontant understood. He saw death coming.

He didn’t waste his time. He managed to alert friends aboard and  overseas institutions. At this time, former duvalierists and opponents have traveled mostly for security concern. They tried the best they could to help, but finally by September 29,  violence sprung again, sealing for good the fate of  dr Roger Lafontant.

That day, in the afternoon, relaxing with a friend of his, Dr Lafontant removed  a picture from his pocket. “ This is my daughter”, she had asked me to bring her to the palace on January 7. It was the last time Dr Roger Lafontant saw his daughter ‘s picture.

Stines Doura, the captain in charge at the Penitencier National, had been running the place since less than a year.  Jean B. Borgard, a RDNP member,  who has been jailed for a few days in 1988 following the coup d’état against President Manigat, affirms : “ I've been told that every time, you see Doura somewhere, be sure that death is hanging”..  From a Plateau Central family,.Doura  seemed to have been the  right man at the right place and consequently was considered a hard core Lavalas

As gunshots were heard around 7.PM, on that night of  September 29, witness still affirm that Mie L. Lassegue., a powerful minister of information, informed her president that  a coup was underway.

The bloodthirsty Jean B. Aristide called right away  Doura and  ordered him to have R Lafontant executed. Doura showed some reluctance : himself or yourself, Aristide, a soft spoken man, concluded. Lavalas was crossing the line.  An officer , Boncoeur from Port Salut and a cousin of Aristide,  was his eye and his ear at the Penitiencier.

Doura, a little bit bewildered, called his superior, the chief Police,  colonel Pierre Cherubin to know  what to do.  Cherubin  sided with the president. A soldier, Leus  Sincere, forced  a few time  later the doors of the  political sector and shouted three times  the jailed politician. It was 2.10 A.M. Roger Lafontant was dead.

In the meanwhile, at Les Cayes, the main town in the Southern part of Haiti, Jean Claude Jean Baptiste, a native of Paillant, Miragoane,  and his mob were cutting in pieces at Quatre Chemins , Pastor Sylvio Claude, a fierce opponent to Lavals.  Jean C. Jean  Baptiste  used to be a killer for his master, Jean B. Aristide. Back in Haiti in 1994 and assigned  to a police position, Jean C. jean Baptiste ignited protests and fury from many parts of the Haitian society.

Twenty two years later, disappointed and  disbanded today, the Haitian army doesn't forgive itself  to have left the Haitian president go away after the assassination of Roger Lafontant.  Leus Sincere is still at large in the US. Stines Doura has been seen in Georgia and Orlando after a long sojourn in North Carolina. Jean C. Jean Baptiste went to Caracas and  maybe was back now in Haiti . In Haiti Pierre Cherubin  continues to deny any involvement in this killing.

With  regards to Jean B. Aristide,  the  main killer, he seems to have forgotten his past.