Veteran Haitian journalist survives assassination attempt

A prominent and veteran journalist in Haiti, Roberson Alphonse, has survived an assassination attempt after unknown gunmen shot and wounded him in his car while on his way to work in the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, police said.

Alphonse who works at the daily newspaper Le Nouvelliste and radio station Magik9, is currently recovering in a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Frantz Duval, the chief editor for both media, said in a statement on Wednesday without revealing the location of the hospital.

According to media reports, the attack on Alphonse who is a powerful critic of the government, comes a month after two other journalists identified as Tayson Latigue and Frantzsen Charles were fatally shot by unknown people.

The incident, according to Duval highlights the deteriorating security situation in a country racked by gang violence.

Read also:Award winning Pakistani journalist, Arshad Sharif, shot dead in Kenya

Haiti’s Ministry of Culture and Communication said it learned “with horror the news of the assassination attempt” that occurred in the Delmas neighbourhood.

“His rigour, his effort to be impartial, and his sense of perfection make him a model for the profession,” the ministry said in a statement.

One of the journalist’s colleagues, Widlore Mérancourt of the online news site AyiboPost, said:

“My friend, Roberson Alphonse could be anything he wants anywhere in the world. He picked Haiti. He also could’ve made millions selling his platforms. He opted for integrity and independence. I love him and I wish him well,” he wrote.

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