On Sunday, January 5, 2024, armed individuals dressed in black cowardly shot dead in the courtyard of the Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours Church (Delmas 75), Robenson Rendel (37 years old), a young entrepreneur known in the cosmetics sales sector, as he got out of his armored car, a black Toyota Prado registered AA-44237, to attend mass. The attackers fled on a motorbike without being worried.

A murder that caused panic among the faithful who closed the doors of the church to try to protect themselves.

Lionel Lazarre Deputy spokesperson for the PNH believes that this assassination has no connection with the deadly gang attacks but was planned. The armed men were waiting for their victim who, once he got out of his armored vehicle, was riddled with bullets. No other faithful were injured.

According to the report made by the Justice of the Peace, the victim was shot 11 times, including 4 in the head, and died instantly.

Reacting to this assassination, Mgr. Max Leroys Mesidor, Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, wrote in a note "[...] This barbaric act has fanned the flames of violence in our country and reveals once again that bloodthirsty individuals have no respect for human life or sacred places such as churches and hospitals.

The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince condemns in the strongest terms this heinous crime, which is added to an already long list, and urges everyone to take the path of Peace, which leads to fraternity and progress for the good of all. He presents his sympathies to the parents and friends of the victim as well as to all the faithful of the Parish of Fragncau Ville and assures them of his prayers.

Considering, following Pope Francis, in his message of January 1st, 2025 that 'Peace is a responsibility that falls to us all', the Archdiocese asks the authorities of the State, the National Police of Haiti, the Armed Forces and all the citizens of the country not to allow chaos and anarchy to have the upper hand.

Following the example of the Magi who left Bethlehem by another path, let us Haitians commit ourselves to another path, that of Peace, harmony and respect for human life, because our country is at the end of its rope."

SL/ HaitiLibre