THE NIGHT OF THE KILLERS
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| J. B.Aristide |
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| 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.
