Haitian Journalists ‘Savagely’ Murdered by Armed Gangs

Two Haitian journalists were murdered after reporting in a gang-ridden area on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday. One of the journalists, John Wesley Amady, had previously collaborated with VICE News in Haiti on a report about how gangs were responding to the assassination of the country’s president in June.

The journalists had travelled to Laboule 12, just south of the capital, to report on the continued unrest in the area where rival gangs fight for control of a major traffic artery that connects Port-au-Prince to the south of the country.

Amady’s employer, Écoute FM, said in a statement that he was “savagely” murdered by “armed gangs” in the area. The Montreal-based radio station said that out of respect for Amady and his family, Écoute FM will “suspend all activities until further notice.”

Amady was murdered alongside another journalist named Wilguens Louissaint who worked for Télé Patriote and Tambou Verité, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Reuters cited an unnamed police official who said that a third journalist was able to escape the attack.

The details of the attack are still murky, but Reuters reported that the journalists may have been killed while in the area to interview someone connected to the criminal underworld.

CNN cited an anonymous source with the Haitian Security Forces who said that the Ti Makak gang were responsible for the attack, but it's still unclear why the journalists were targeted.

In June, gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse at his private residence. Although more than 40 suspects have been detained, including 19 Colombian mercenaries who allegedly participated in the attack, investigators have yet to provide a convincing explanation for the motive.

One of the Colombian suspects appeared in court in Miami on Tuesday, where he was charged with conspiring to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States. 

The assassination led to a power vacuum that has been filled by armed gangs that control parts of the country. An earthquake in August added to the chaos that has embroiled one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Kidnappings and murders have spiralled since the assassination and the gangs appear to be dominating increasingly larger swaths of territory.