Lusignan (Guyana)

Lusignan is a community in Guyana, South America. Located on the East Coast of Demerara, this village is comprised of mainly indo-Guyanese and is sustained by subsistence farming. The community was brought to international attention following what has become known as the Lusignan Massacre, a dire event that left 11 persons, including 5 children, dead, after a group of heavily armed gunmen led by Rondell "Fineman" Rawlins stormed the village.

Location

Lusignan is a small community on the East Coast of Demerara, approximately 16km from the capital city Georgetown. This village has a population of about 2,000 persons Fact|date=August 2007. It is home to the Lusignan Golf Course, Guyana's only golf course, and there is also a community centre which houses the Lusignan Cricket Club and a Dental Surgery. The village constitutes a market square, supermarket, and pharmacy, and one of the Guyana's five maximum security prisons. Transportation for the village is via a railway embankment and the major East Coast highway, and connects the community to the capital city.

The Lusignan Massacre

On the morning of Saturday, January 26, 2008, gunmen stormed into Lusignan and ruthlessly murdered eleven persons, including five children. Five families were affected by the massacre.

A group of heavily armed gunmen entered “Track A” Lusignan about 02:00 am, and invaded the homes of five Lusignan families. The onslaught, which lasted about 20 minutes, penetrated the quiet of the morning with heavy gunfire as the marauding gang mercilessly killed eleven persons. The dead are: Clarence Thomas, 48; Vanessa Thomas, 12; Ron Thomas, 11; Mohandan Goordat, 32; Seegopaul Harilall, 10; Seegobin Harilall, 4; Dhanwajie Ramsingh, 52; Seecharran Rooplall, 56; Raywattie Ramsingh, 11; Shazam Mohammed, 22; and Shaleem Baksh, 52. Several of the children who were murdered were found dead while still in their beds. Survivors of the attack are Arjune Bhim, 11,Roberto Thomas and Howard Thomas. Both Roberto and Howard, who sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds, have undergone successful recoveries.

Aftermath of the Massacre

As the country slipped into nationwide mourning, East Coast residents held protests along the East Coast corridor, where they burned tires and damaged state infrastructure. Residents reported that they made several attempts to contact the Vigilance Police Station during the siege. However, the police did not respond promptly, and arrived at the scenes of the crime well after the gunmen had escaped. As such, angry residents staged protests to vent their disappointment with the country’s fractured national security. Residents were also incensed when government officials visited Lusignan. The fugitive Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins has claimed responsibility for the massacre.

Mastermind and Motive

The former soldier, Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins, who has claimed responsibility of the Lusignan massacre, was initially wanted for the April 2006 assassination of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh. Rawlins’ girlfriend, 19-year-old Tenisha Morgan, vanished on January 18, 2008 while on her way to a city hospital to deliver her baby. Rawlins believed that his girlfriend was kidnapped by law enforcement officials in an effort to force Rawlins to turn himself in. The Joint Services has repeatedly denied these claims.

Rawlins telephoned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) a few days after her disappearance, and warned them to turn over his girlfriend to him or face the consequences. His voice was positively identified by police ranks.Following the Lusignan Massacre, a male person who claimed to be Rawlins contacted the local newspaper Kaieteur News by phone. He claimed responsibility for the Lusignan killings, but declared that he was not the mastermind behind the slaying of the Minister for Agriculture in 2006. Rawlins further warned that he will create history in Guyana through a repeat mass killing if his girlfriend is not returned to him alive and well. This threat was realized less than one month after the Lusignan Massacre, when another bloodbath was executed in the mining town of Bartica. In that incident, 13 persons were ruthlessly murdered, including three policemen, while seven persons sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the body .

Operation “Restore Order”

Two days after the Lusignan Massacre, the Joint Services launched Operation Restore Order, headed by the Commissioner of Police (ag) Henry Greene. The operation was launched so as to capture and disable criminal gangs, and restore law and order to the country. All sea, land and air resources were mobilized in an effort to capture the killers.

On Wednesday, 30th January 2008, members of the Joint Services were engaged in a shootout in Buxton, which resulted in the death of two armed men. About ten gunmen shot at and threw grenades at the ranks in the vicinity of Pond Dam, Buxton. The two dead were identified as Vibert Leroy Harris aka Bolo, of Friendship, East Coast Demerara, and Troy St. John aka John Eye. St. John is believed to be Rawlin’s second in command.

During Operation Restore Order, the Joint Services cleared a section of the backlands of Buxton so as to disable the criminals from escaping into those fields. They discovered the skeletal remains of one man who went missing in 2007. (citation needed) The Joint Services also recovered several AK-47 rifles, hundreds of rounds for various weapons, and military fatigues, among other items. These items were discovered through raids in Buxton. The operation was been widely extended to other towns and villages in Guyana following the second massacre at Bartica massacre, where the town was under siege for approximately one hour.

Condemnation of the Attack

The Lusignan massacre has been condemned by many factions of the Guyanese community as well as various international bodies. All political parties and religious bodies unreservedly condemned the Lusignan massacre and called for an end to the brutal crimes.

The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) issued a statement in which they strongly condemned “the brutal and cold blooded” murder of the 11 persons at Lusignan, and said the attack on Police Headquarters which preceded the slayings was “a well coordinated and centrally directed terrorist attack.”

Controversy

Various controversies have surrounded the motives of the Lusignan massacre, and the national response to the capture of the criminals.

1. President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo refused to hold consultations on the country’s crime situation with main opposition leader Mr. Robert Corbin. The president declared that he would not discuss the matter unless the opposition leader admitted that the beleaguered community of Buxton is a safe-haven for criminals. The opposition leader has said that he will not single out Buxton, as criminals can also be found all over the country. The President did later meet with all national stakeholders, parliamentary political parties and religious bodies on Wednesday 20th February, 2008, following the second massacre in Bartica.

2. As part of Operation Restore Order, the Joint Services conducted various search exercises in the homes of Buxtonians. Many residents complained that their household items were unnecessarily damaged beyond repair. There were also claims of unnecessary force used during the detainment of suspects from the village. The Joint Services subsequently said that all items damaged during the search exercises will be replaced or compensated for.

3. Operation Restore Order also saw the clearing of the Buxton backlands, a move which greatly affected the livelihood of Buxton farmers. The cash crop farms were cleared so as to prevent criminals from using the backlands to make good their escape. The government of Guyana subsequently set up a compensation desk in order to assess claims of destroyed farms, and supply adequate monetary compensation for all losses.

4. Tenisha Morgan, who was heavily pregnant at the time of her disappearance, allegedly contacted her mother, Waple Morgan, while still missing. Her mother reportedly said she received a phone call from the young woman, who said she did not know where she was, but she was walking along a dam. She also reportedly said that the baby, who is a girl, is sick, and they have no food. A massive search was launched for the missing woman and her baby, but neither was found. Police investigations shortly after found that there were inconsistencies with Waple Morgan’s report, and that she had changed her story as to how she came to receive the phone call. This has cast doubt on her reliability; nonetheless, the police continue to search for the missing pair.

Rawlins' death

In 2008, gang leader Rondell Williams was killed by police.

External links

* [http://www.guyana.org/massacre_lusignan.html News reports and information on the Lusignan Massacre]