Military - Haiti Observer Blog

As increasingly gruesome political tension once again begins to raise its head in Haiti, the Uruguayan government is considering pulling out those of the United Nations' military troops that are theirs. Announcement of this possibility was made by the Secretary of State for Uruguay, who stated that they would continue to watch the escalating situation and judge how to go from there. If a withdrawal is decided upon, they are considering the move to be a complete, swift removal of their troops stationed in Haiti on a peace mission. Still, while they assess the situation, the more conservative plan for a gradual withdrawal is still on the table.

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Tuesday, March 26 was a day filled with developments within the Haitian justice system. It began early in the day when ONA (Office National Old Age Insurance) security agents and employees staged a protest which stopped other ONA employees from entering or leaving the compound. The group that demonstratively chained and locked the main gate was directing their ire at Director General of the company, Bernard Desgraff.

Desgraff, in the position for over four years, is accused of the waste and mismanagement of company funds, of removing the health insurance of the workers, of exhibiting favoritism in lending habits and of the removal of an ebit card that had been in place before he came into office. For all these charges, the protesting group wished for his firing.

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When Francois Duvalier assumed the presidency of Haiti in 1957, he instituted a brutal secret police, Tonton Macoutes. The term translates to Uncle Gunnysack in English, based on a children's fairytale, in which the ogre would kidnap disobedient children and devour them. Duvalier co-opted the name and used the secret police to control and terrify people.

Tonton Macoutes spread fear among Haitians, kidnapping them sometimes in the dead of night. Or by day, lynching their burned bodies, leaving them to molder away under the hot sun. The smallest perceived infraction against Duvalier brought on the evil wrath of Tonton Macoutes.

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Haiti is separated with Dominican Republic by long uneven crooked teeth like barricade on the Massacre River. The armed Dominican border guards sit and stare blankly at the opposite bank from their assigned posts. On the other side of the river, the Haitian women wash clothes on rocks and innocent children splash in the water. CESFRONT is the name of Specialized Dominican Republic's Border Security Force. It was established in 2006 with a purpose to restrict the entry of illegal migrants crossing Haitian-Dominican border.

CESFRONT is an extension of U.S Homeland Department's Security of Customs and Border Protection with technical advice and expertise support to promote "strong borders" abroad as part of U.S war against global terror. Militarized borders are becoming more common all over the world, especially in regions with US influence. U.S quick response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti is a good example on how border associated fears on mass immigration can deploy proactive protective measures. The fact that remains behind these quick, strong defensive measures is that U.S border is no more static. Their homeland security is no more restricted within their homeland--it is international and continuously moving. Washington is making every efforts to "push out" its boundary enforcement regime--an initiative that has roots much deeper than 9/11.

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In an attempt to alleviate at least some of the trepidation expressed by Haitian citizens upon learning of the secret training underwent by 41 of the country's brightest in Ecuador, and their return to possibly create a new Haitian army, Minister of Defense, Jean Rodolphe Joazile announced on Wednesday October 9th that the returning young people, including 30 soldier-technicians and 11 officer-engineers, were not part of a new army, but a new Civil Defense Force.

According to the Defense Minister, there is a need for the force within the country, as such, 40 additional young people will journey away from Haiti by the end of the year for civil engineering military training. It is part of a three year plan to implement a complete Civil Defense Force.

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The Dominicans have Army, Navy, Coast guard. The Haitians have "Nothing". Do you think that one day we might end up be a colony of the Dominican Republic? Are you ready to become second class citizen under the occupation of the Dominicans?

On Tuesday, November 28, 2013 Dominican President Danilo Medina met at the Dominican National Palace all its forces, including: senior defense, enforcement and security officials, officials of the army and police, officials charged with protecting national security and the border. The meeting was to develop a strategy to deal with Haiti.

Is this a show of force on the part of the Dominican Government?

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The Caribbean community (Caricom) should be commended for taking its first action against a cancer that is growing and spreading in the Dominican Republic. Declaring that it can no longer be business as usual, they suspended the Dominican Republic's application to join its regional economic bloc, following the court decision in Dominican Republic to remove the citizenship of many Dominicans with Haitian background.

The Dominican Republic must really have a huge problem with Black people, Haitians in particular since not only they are black, they are also poor.

After the Haitians, will they ask that only white people comes to visit the country?

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Making good on a campaign promise is probably a good position for a politician to take, however, to do so without consulting with various relevant bodies that would need to know of something as big as the training and possibly deployment of a quasi-military force, is, as the Americans would say, a horse of a different color.

President Michel Martelly recently announced the return of 41 engineers, officers and technicians who had left the country to pursue a ten month training program at a facility in Ecuador, unbeknownst to the public, as well as to parliament. Also out of the loop, was the Artibonite Senator, who reacted with sarcasm when asked about the report that the returnees will be completing an internship until the end of the year at the Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite.

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After rigorous training over the course of 10 months spent in a foreign country, 41 of Haiti's brightest return home to be part of the new, impending quasi-military force which is the brainchild of current President, Michel Martelly.

The move to ship the over 40 men to Ecuador to undergo their training was Martelly's answer after his campaign promise to reinstitute the army, which had been disbanded after the Aristide coup, among other serious charges of abuse of power, was met by overwhelming dissent by the U.S. and other world governments, which cited a concern that a new army would derail the efforts being made to create a police force of civilians.

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Dominican Republic (DR) political extremist and radio talk-show host, Alvaro Arvelo, is outraged by the government of Haiti's (GOH) ban on chicken and egg products coming from the DR. The reason behind the ban is rumors have been circulating in GOH circles a bird-flu virus might have contaminated the fowl and its eggs.

Arvelo has personalized the issue, saying "Haitians are ungrateful; they hate the Dominicans." He hosts a political commentary program, "The Government of the Morning". On this occasion, Haiti was the target of his wrath. He is so incensed over this perceived slight of the GOH towards the DR; he demanded President Danilo Medina mount a military campaign and invade Haiti as soon as possible.

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