Haiti looking to rebuild military

Army to replace departing UN Stabilization Mission

After 2 decades with no army, Haiti has announced plans to rebuild its military to handle disasters and smuggling.

The country has announced an initial recruitment of 500 men and women aged 18 to 25, invoking the need to “reclaim national sovereignty” as a 13-year UN peacekeeping mission, known as the blue helmets, comes to an end.

The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was deployed in 2004 to stem violence following the sudden departure of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and is set to leave in October amid an improving security situation and a successful electoral process after 2 years of political turmoil.

It will leave behind a residual training force of international police officers.
“The departure of the blue helmets is a challenge, but it is something we have planned for,” Defence Minister Herve Denis told reporters.

The Moïse administration says it plans to deploy troops along the border with the Dominican Republic in the fight against smuggling, and in regions hit by natural disasters.

Denis added it will also wage war on terrorists: “Even if there isn’t a high threat-level, we still have regional responsibilities,” said Denis, while recognizing that, for the time being, the country is not being threatened by any external enemies.
Re-forming an army is merely a requirement of the country’s constitution, which calls for a military alongside the police, Denis said, but added he prefers to use the term “defence and security force.”

“I want people to understand that it is a new kind of institution that we want to create, one which is with the country in its quest towards development,” he said.
A major part of that rebranding effort is the institution’s checkered past.

Haiti’s armed forces were dissolved in 1995 by then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was ousted in a military coup 7 months after he took power in 1991 – bringing an end to decades of political interference and dozens of coups.

The Haitian national police force was created in 1995 after the army disbanded. Its strength stands below 13,000, widely deemed insufficient for its population of 11 million.

Source: AFP