Témoignages à propos de l'affaire François Benoit sous Duvalier François

Publié par siel sur 2 Février 2011, 10:54am

Catégories : #DUVALIER

1960 F.A.D.H. Rifle Team

Vous pouvez voir la photo des militaires de cette équipe des FADH sur Pikliz.com
link

dont il faut féliciter l'équipe pour l'excellent et précieux travail d'archivages qu'elle réalise. Particulièrement sur la périodes des 29 ans des Duvalier dont, malheureusement, la plupart des documents audiovisuels ont disparu, suite à l'incendie des locaux de Télé Haïti en 1986. Cette télévision possédait un grand nombre de vidéos du régime : leurs fêtes, mariages, banquets, cérémonies officielles etc. La disparition de ces archives est une grande perte pour l'étude et l'information sur la dictature des 2 Duvalier et ceux qui en ont été les bénéficiaires de ce régime de terreur.

Dans le récit de Joe Edeline (en anglais ) beau frère de François Benoit et frère de Jacqueline Edeline (qui était à l'époque une amie de ma soeur ainée et des voisins; ce qui fait que le drame de cette famille touchait tout le quartier directement ou indirectement)

il y a quelque trucs que je trouve étrange dans ce récit

1- c'est la soumission au régime. Notez-bien qu'après la disparition, l'assassinat des membres de leur famille, les gens après s'être cachés pendant quelques temps, reviennent à leur boulot et à l'école comme si de rien n'était.

On a l'impression, en lisant ce récit que Duvalier et ses militaro/macoutes jouaient au chat et à la souris avec eux et qu'ils acceptaient d'être les souris.

2- c'est que l'ensemble de ces famillesn'ont jamais réclamé justice pour les victimes arbitrairement emprisonnées, assassinés ou disparus. Et qu'ils ont accepté par la suite de cotoyer leurs bourreaux et même pour certains d'entre eux de marier leurs enfants aux fils et filles de leurs bourreaux.

Je ne sais pas si le même phénomène se rencontre en Amérique Latine, mais il serait nécessaire pour l'avenir d'Haïti d'étudier les raisons d' une telle amnésie.

Amnésie qui aura permis la continuité du duvaliérisme et sa restauration officielle en 2004, via la propagande orchestrée par les zentellectuels du Collectif Non, qui en arrivaient à comparer favorablement les macoutes aux chimères, en arguant que les premiers étaient encadrés et obéissaient à un chef.

VOIR Dans le journal l'Humanité, quand Lyonel Trouillot trouve que les macoutes c'était quand même mieux que les chimères.

Le témoignage d'Edeline montre que si ces macoutes dans certains cas, comme celui-çi, étaient encadrés par des militaires, le résultat était à l'inverse une répression plus organisée et plus violente qui n'hésitait pas à frapper enfants, parents et domestiques.

3- c'est qu'on a l'impression que derrière cette chasse aux supposés "ennemis" du régime,
le but recherché était l'élimination d'une classe d'hommes et de femmes, celle de la classe bourgeoise et petite bourgeoise native natale Mulâtre, Noire et métissée dans laquelle se retrouvaient les gens les mieux formés, les plus critiques afin de les remplacer par l'équipe des macouto/duvaliéristes noiristes, fidèles serviteurs de la dictature.

Bien sûr, ça n'empêche pas que des intellectuels Noirs, Mulâtres et métis aient collaboré en tant qu'individus. Mais on voit bien que c'est toute une classe d'hommes et de femmes les mieux formés qui ont été pourchassés, massacrés et/ou forcés à s'exiler.

Il fallait faire place nette pour cette nouvelle classe d'hommes, les duvaliéristes, qui vont s'accaparer l'ensemble des institutions du pays, les terres, les biens et jusqu'aux maisons (comme dans le cas des Edeline ou à Jérémie à la suite de la tuerie de familles mulâtres)

4- c'est que 2004 marque la réconciliation officielle entre les victimes des Duvalier et leurs bourreaux. Pour exemple François Benoit , sera memebre du CEP initié par Latortue, lequel Latortue nommera comme Ambassadeurs des kokenn, des grands duvaliéristes comme Cinéas ou Siméon.

Ce retour officiel du personnel des années 1957-1986 et leur alliances avec leurs anciennes victimes sur le dos du peuple ne pouvait que présager du pire. Et le pire est effectivement arrivé.

Le récit de "TiJoe" Edeline:

Insertion Narrated by : G. J. R. "Ti Joe" Edeline, 20 August 2009.

Many thanks for taking the time to keep a record of so much that happened in Haiti under "Papa Doc."

Remerciements pour le temps pris pour garder en mémoire tant de choses arrivées sous "papadoc"
-
Indeed, Lt. Francois Benoit, married(15 Dec. 1960) to one of my 3 older sisters, Jacqueline , lost their first-born, Gerald "Gerry" Benoit(b.30 September 1961), on Friday, 26 April 1963, 11:00 am.

EffectivementLFrançois Benot a épousé (15 déc. 1960) l'une de mes trois soeurs ainées, Jacqueline, et a perdu leur premier enfant Gérald "Gerry" Benoit (30 sept. 1961) le vendredi

26 avril 1963 à 11h du matin.

Gerry was taken out of the home of Lt. Francois Benoit's parents (Judge Joseph & Mrs. Benoit), corner of Ruelle Jeremie and Bois Verna, by Captain Max Dominique, who led the macoutes, in the middle of the day, to arrest Lt. Benoit.

Gerry a été pris dans la maison des parents de françois Benoit (Judge Josephet Mrs Benoit)

au coin de la ruelle Jérémie au Bois Verna, par le capitaine Max Dominique qui était à la tête des macoutes qui, au milieu de la journée, étaient venus arrêter le Lt Benoit.

The latter, member of the Haitian sharp-shooting team, had been falsely accused, of being involved with the attempt to kidnap the president's son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, then about 11-12 years old, as he was being picked-up from school.

Celui-çi membre de l'équipe haïtienne de fusilliers de choc, avaient été faussement accusé d'avoir été

Once Max Dominique cleared the gate, on his way to the waiting vehicles, the macoutes spread fuel on the house and the dead bodies of the people they had just massacred, i.e. Judge & Mrs. Joseph Benoit, a pregnant visitor who was mistaken for my sister, Jacqueline Edeline Benoit(Francois' wife), 2 maids and a young male gardener; before burning it to the ground. The remains of the house, in that vacant lot, have not been touch since.

It seems as though Gerry Benoit(then 17 months) was taken directly to the palace, never to be seen again.

In the meanwhile, another truck full of macoutes, led by Lt. Edouard Guillot, headed to 18 Ruelle Robin, home of the Edeline family. My parents, Paul Rene(55) and Georgette(48) Edeline, were the only ones home, along with a couple of maids and a gardener.

My mother, by pure luck, saw a truck of macoutes through the window of the first floor and got suspicious. She shouted my dad's name, and alerted him of the sight in the front of the house, screaming for him to come down and get away; but, he replied that he had not done anything wrong and had no reason to run. So she and the servants took off.

Lt. E. Guillot personally escorted my dad to the waiting vehicle, hitting him all along, as one of my 3 other older brothers(Jean-Robert "Bob") watched from across the street, where he and a couple of neighbors were chatting. My dad was taken away, never to be seen again?

My mom jumped the wall in the back yard and escaped through the neighbor(Moravia)'s yard. From her hiding place, blocks away, she managed to gather several of us, from schools and work, and send us into separate hiding places, for the next four months.

When things calmed down, the ones of us who did not leave the country, were able to come out of hiding, go back to school, and work, as if nothing had happened; until nine months later(July 1, 1964).

Because of the Benoit Affair, 26 April 1963, my brother-in-law, Lt. P. Francois Benoit, had to take refuge at the Dominican Ambassy which, incidentally, the macoutes attacked in order to capture him. The latter, who was armed and very familiar with weapons, along with the Ambassy guards, defended themselves very successfully.

Juan Bosh, the Dominican president at the time, quickly contacted Papa Doc to tell him to keep his distance, if he did not want a war, and leave Benoit alone, which he did.

Arrangements were then made for Benoit to be transferred to the D.R. Ambassador's residence until they could make safely get him to the Ambassy of Ecuador, where he stayed for over a year.

Papa Doc tried his best to keep Benoit on Haitian soil until he could get a hold of him. In addition, he held on to the false accusations, declared Benoit under arrest, judged, convicted and sentenced to death, and executed, all "in absentia." He was not able to get out of the country until January of 1965.

Since my brother, then Captain Claude Edeline, was also part of the Haitian sharp shooting team, the macoutes went after him. At the time, he was staying at his in-laws' home, in Pacot.

By then, it was in the middle of the night of 26 April. Because there were watch dogs barking inside the gated house, and both my brother and retired Colonel Max Bazelais, were armed, the officer in command, ordered the macoutes and soldiers, in a loud and alerting voice, to get back in the trucks and wait until day time to return.

We all still think that the officer may have been sending a message to my brother(29), and his immediate family, wife(Josselyne Bazelais, daughter of Colonel Max Bazelais), and 2 children, Patrick and Florence, both under 3.5 years old, that he was in danger.

So now Benoit's wife, Jacqueline; plus her brother, Claude Edeline and his family of four; all went into hiding, until they could get into various Ambassies and, eventually, leave the country.

The rest of us, siblings and other relatives, had to go into hiding, as well. In those days, gender and age did not matter to the macoutes. They picked up anyone and everyone who happened to be with or around their targeted victims.

When things calmed down, months after the Benoit Affair, those of us still in the country, slowly started to venture out again. We went back to school, or work, and moved into another area altogether; since or house was taken over by "friends of the regime."

Well, the calm period did not last very long; for, in the summer of 1964, my older brother, Claude, had moved from New York City, where he had been since the escaped a year earlier, to Baltimore, Maryland, for a new job.

It just happened that a small group of Haitians, who had been living in and around New York, invaded the country. Without any evidence or proof, my brother was accused of being part of the invasion, which started in the south of the country, near a town where he was stationed as a young army officer.

It seems as though one of the locals reported that he had recognized my brother among the inviders. So, the macoutes wasted no time in rounding up all the other members of the family, whom they had not picked up the first time. Well, all the ones they could find, anyway.

Consequently, they arrested my 49-year old mother, Georgette; two older sisters, Ghislaine Edeline Duchatelier(29), along with her husband, Maurice, their baby, Philippe-Maurice; an older brother, Bob(21); another older sister, Gladys(19); from their Delmas home, at lunch time. My 96-year old grand-mother, who lived with them, was shaken up but left alone.

My 2 younger siblings, Guerda(15) and Edouard (10), though in the house at the time, were spared. Guerda, by pure luck, since she is the one who answered the door, when Lt. Harry Tassy showed up with his truck load of macoutes and sent her to get mom. The others were already in a car, pulling out of the driveway, to go back to work, after lunch.

As Guerda went back in to find mom, the latter was on her way to the front door. Tassy had her join the others(Maurice, Ghislaine, Bob and Gladys) in the car, and taken away; never to be seen again, along with the car.

Guerda figured out what was happening, once everyone disappeared. She gathered younger brother Edouard(the 9th of 9 children); nephew Philippe-Maurice, along with 2 of Maurice's younger boys from his previous marriage, who were visiting; and fled through the woods, behind the house.

They were barely into the woods when they heard the loud noise of the macoutes' vehicles heading back to the house, apparently remembering that they had talked to Guerda but had failed to take her along.

The four children, then, ran into a neighbor's house, to hide, which happened to be the home of Colonel Frank Romain's mother-in-law, Mrs. Qualo. Colonel F. Romain lived right across the street.

Lt. Tassy, not having found Guerda in the house, decided to search the whole neighborhood, one house at a time. Mrs. Qualo realized what was happening, as the macoutes were only already entering her property. She instantly ordered the kids to run into the maids' quarters, detached from the house, but kept the baby with her.

The macoutes demanded to have the baby before proceeding to search the property. Miraculously, they searched all the rooms in the main house, and all the ones detached from the home, the doors of which were closed; but not the one room in which the kids were hiding. They had run into that room so fast that the door remained ajar, behind them. The macoutes must have assumed that no one was hiding in a room with a open door; so they skipped it, as they moved on to search other houses in the neighborhood.

As soon as the kids were able to get away, they all fled through the woods and ran as far away as they could until they recognized some family friends. Within minutes, they were all thrown into a car and driven out of the neighborhood.

In my case, I was at my cousins' house in Pacot when the news reached me, via words of mouth. As a lady came out of nowhere was still telling my aunt the story, an older cousin also rushed in, having left his car running in the driveway, and dragged me away from a scrabble game. Strangely enough, the last word that I placed on the board as we headed for his VW Beetle, was "deuil," the French word for "mourning."

He had also heard the news, himself, and knowing that I had been staying there, he came to rescue and take me to a safe place.

The youngest 3 of us, of nine children, were able to stay in hiding for 5 months, as arrangements were made for us to leave the country and, eventually, make it to the U.S. of A, which we have all, gladly, adopted as our new home.

To summarize, Papa Doc's regime took away mom, dad, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, a brother-in-law, and 2 nephews, from my immediate family; not counting others related by marriage.

THE ESCAPE FROM THE CLAWS OF PAPA DOC'S MACOUTES, AFTER 5 MONTHS OF HIDING AND LOSING MORE THAN HALF OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY, IS ANOTHER STORY IN ITSELF... STAY TUNE!!!