Haiti – Arson at Université Soleil: Me Jean Renel Sénatus Announces Complaint and Demands Justice

Port-au-Prince, November 5, 2025. — Following the arson that ravaged the premises of Université Soleil d'Haiti (USH) in Turgeau on the night of November 1, the institution's board president, Me Jean Renel Sénatus, confirms that a complaint will be filed this Wednesday, November 5, at the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance, to demand the opening of a criminal investigation against the perpetrators and accomplices of this act, which he describes as « barbarism against national education ». Complaint Against X, But With Specific Suspicions According to Me Sénatus's statements, the complaint will be filed against X, as the perpetrators have not yet been officially identified. However, he claims to have credible information pointing to individuals affiliated with the armed coalition “Viv Ansanm,” already cited in several press reports as active in the metropolitan area. « We do not yet have all the elements to formally identify those responsible, but witnesses saw heavily armed men arriving on motorcycles, identified as members of this criminal coalition, » a relative of the former senator confided. Investigators are expected to interview direct witnesses and victims of threats related to Radio Émancipation FM in the coming days. The radio station, housed in the same building as the university and known for its critical tone towards the armed coalition « Viv Ansanm, » reportedly received several repeated intimidations before the incident. A Symbolic Complaint, But Difficult to Succeed Legally, the chances of this complaint succeeding remain uncertain, even minimal, according to several observers. In a context where the Haitian judicial system is paralyzed by insecurity, a lack of judges, and the failure of the police system, very few similar criminal cases have reached a judicial conclusion in recent years. However, Me Sénatus intends it to be an act of principle and resistance, a strong signal addressed to the State and society: « We will file a complaint » even if we know, as the former government commissioner of Port-au-Prince, Paul Eronce Villard, reminded us earlier, that Haitian justice is ailing, and he insists that we must refuse to normalize impunity. The former Haitian parliamentarian, Me Jean Renel Sénatus, assures that Université Soleil will not give up its rights and will continue to demand truth and reparation. A Devastated, But Living University Before the disaster, Université Soleil d'Haiti (USH) had approximately 600 to 700 students enrolled in various faculties: legal, economic, political, and social sciences. The institution also had an academic and administrative staff of about 80 members, including several professors from public and private universities. Today, USH is completely destroyed. Classrooms, laboratories, library, radio studios—everything has been reduced to ashes. But according to the rectorate, academic activities will quickly resume in another temporary location in Port-au-Prince, while the campus is rebuilt. « They burned our walls, not our ideas. You don't burn the Sun! » declared Me Sénatus in a message of resilience broadcast on social media. The destruction of Université Soleil represents a severe blow to Haitian higher education, already shaken by the security crisis and brain drain. USH, created in 2013, aimed to be a space for intellectual and civic emancipation, open to young people from modest backgrounds. Its temporary disappearance deprives hundreds of students of a structured environment, even as several universities in the capital have already closed their doors under the threat of gangs. « It is a whole symbol collapsing: that of the resistance of knowledge against barbarism, » estimates a teacher contacted by the editorial team of Le Relief. While awaiting a real investigation and support from the authorities, the university community calls for national mobilization to protect spaces of knowledge. The case of Université Soleil d'Haiti goes beyond a mere news item: it illustrates the decline of security, the failure of justice, and the fragility of educational institutions in a country where knowledge becomes a target. While Me Jean Renel Sénatus's complaint has little chance of succeeding under current conditions, it remains an act of symbolic courage, reminding us that the light of the Sun may flicker, but never goes out.