Two Haitian journalists were killed on January 6 after they went to Laboule 12, a village, southwest of the capital, Port au Prince, where armed gangs are engaged in ongoing gun battles.
The killing of Wilguens Louissaint and Amady John Wesley was confirmed by their employer, Radio Écoute FM, a Canadian-based on online media house
The journalists are reported to have been burnt alive.
Reports are that a third journalist, Wilmann Vil, who accompanied them managed to escape with the help of residents.
“We condemn with the utmost rigor this criminal and barbaric act,” said Ecoute FM general manager, Francky Attis.
The radio station said the journalists were “savagely shot and burned alive by armed bandits,” describing the event as a “serious attack on the right to life.”
Radio Écoute FM has since suspended its broadcasts until further notice.
Laboule 12, has been the scene of intense fighting with rival gangs, most notably, Ti Makak” and “Toto” which are fighting for control of the area.
It is considered to be the only alternative land route to reach the southern half of the country, as since June, the main road has been blocked by one of the most powerful gangs in Haiti.
The journalists were also reported to have been investigating the fatal shooting of Inspector Dan Jerry Toussaint, who was killed in Fessard during the last week of December by members of the Ti Makak gang.
The latest attacks come as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM)country continues to grapple with acts of extreme violence and deteriorating security conditions as rival groups battle each other or the police for control of the streets.
In July last year, Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated during an attack on his private residence, leaving a power vacuum that deepened the turmoil from the violence.
/CMC
