Two Haitian journalists were shot dead and set ablaze while reporting in an improvised neighbourhood of Cite Soleil which is controlled by gangs in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. The incident took place on Sunday which is the second such killing in the past year, indicated the journalists’ association and local media.
The two journalists, later identified as Tayson Latigue and Frantzsen Charles, were among a group of seven journalists who were investigating the increase in gang violence in the area and the recent killing of a 17-year-old girl, said a statement by Haiti’s Association of Independent Journalists.
A reporter with the association, Dieudonne St-Cyr, told the local media that the two journalists were ambushed by two rival gang members which he did not name. He also said that the five other reporters managed to escape unharmed and the bodies of the two journalists have not been recovered.
Tayson Latigue, worked for digital publication Ti Jenn Jounalis, while Frantzsen Charles was a reporter with FS News Haiti. The FS News Haiti released a statement which read, “We announce with great sorrow the death of our journalist and reporter Frantzsen Charles and another colleague. They were killed by bandits while reporting in Cite Soleil. We demand justice for our colleague.”
The organization condemned the incident calling it a “villainous and odious act” and demanded that the government take action against the country’s worsening security, saying these killings are “further proof of the inability of the state to protect lives and property, which is nothing other than a violation of human rights”.
This comes amid a surge of killings and kidnappings, which they have attributed to gang members becoming more powerful following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021. Reports also suggest that the rival gangs have been fighting for control of territory in and around the capital city. “The journalists were just doing their job,” the group said. “They didn’t commit any crime.”
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry also condemned the killings and said he was “profoundly shocked”. He also took to Twitter and said, “We strongly condemn this barbaric act, while sending our heartfelt thoughts to the families of the victims and their colleagues.” Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also indicated that they are looking into the killings of the young journalists, “In 2022, Haiti has become one of the Western Hemisphere’s deadliest countries for the press,” a statement released by the group read.
CPJ is investigating the killing of Tayson Latigue and Frantzsen Charles, two young reporters killed Sunday while on assignment in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince.
In 2022, #Haiti has become one of the Western Hemisphere’s deadliest countries for the press.https://t.co/5MByPFlxPA
— CPJ Américas (@CPJAmericas) September 13, 2022
This incident was following the killings of two other journalists, Wilguens Louissaint and Amady John Wesley, earlier this year in January. The duo was reporting in Laboule, an area south of Port-au-Prince where they were reportedly burnt alive by gang members.
Journalists have also demanded answers about the disappearance of freelance photographer Vladjimir Legagneur which happened in March 2018. He was reportedly last seen in the Grand Ravine, an area which is deemed as one of the poorest and most dangerous districts in the capital.
