Does Haiti Need An Army?

Forces Armee d’Haiti (Fad’H)

Sonide Simon
Today the Haitian National Police serves as the security force in Haiti. It is headed by Mario Andresol who currently serves as the Chief of Police. The police force is made up of more than 8,000 officers that serve within all ten departments. The departments are divided into 41 district offices and 133 communal offices. The institution is dividedinto units which include the Presidential Security Unit, the Coast Guard, Paramilitary Unit, Judicial Police, and Administrative Police. This security force was not always been the sole provider of protection for Haiti. Before the formation of the New National Haitian Police, Haiti was protected by both a police force and a military unit. The following report serves as a tool to understand the formermilitary as well as to explore the potential conflicts and insecurity issues that may come due to resurgence.
The Haitian military is called Forces Armee d’Haiti. It was restructured constitutionally in 1987 after the Duvalier rule (Library of Congress, 2006). In accordance with the 1987 constitution, FAd’H serves under National Defense and the Ministry of Interior. The constitution called forboth a police force as well as an army. According to Article 266 of the 1987 constitution, its role is to protect the nation from foreign threats and be in charge of the Port-au-Prince police and its prison system (Le Monitor, 28 April 1987, pg 602). Its role and position caused a mix of roles of military and police work (globalsecurity.org).

Further, as political conflicts and challenges fromDuvalier’s old militants continued to threaten the government, the role of FAd’H became one of making national decisions (globalsecurity.org). It should be noted that the Article 265 states that military personnel cannot be involved in politics (Le Monitor 28 Apr. 1987).

After Duvalier’s departure and two years of an interim government and increase political riots, the people declaredJean Bertrand Aristide, anti-Duvalierist and former Roman Catholic priest, president in December 1990. He was largely supported by the poorest of the nation and opposed by the elite and the military. His first works began with limiting military power by reorganizing the structure. He established a presidential security force, reduced the budget, and closed military facilities (CIA, 2007). Within hisfirst year, Aristide was ousted by a military coup. The US refused to recognize the new government and helped reinstated Aristide back in power in 1994.Though upon his return Aristide demobilized the Haitian military and replaced it with Haitian National Police, there are no constitutional amendments which supports Aristide’s move to demobilize (Library of Congress, 2006).

Before the 1991coup, FAd’H consisted of 6-8000 uniformed soldiers or officers and was divided into three branches: the army (3500- 4,000 soldiers) , the navy (250-300 soldiers), and the air force( 150-200 soldiers) (Rebu, 1994). The soldiers that made up the battalions came from an impoverished and uneducated background. Their training failed to address human rights and the respect of the rule of law(www.globalsecurity.org). After the coup the military was crippled to about 1500 troops with a small officer corps.

The nation’s economic situation only afforded the three branches “antiquated” weaponry. The US was the largest provider of weaponry (Bromley, 2007). There were limited weapons systems, unsophisticated technology, and inefficient preparedness and training. Sophistication of weaponsvaried with rank and position. Ranging from rifles developed during World War II for most soldiers to American M16 and West German G3 for the elite units. Artillery pieces and armored vehicles were only accessible and operable by the Presidential Guard (CIA, 2007). Before demobilization, light tanks became unserviceable. Some of the vehicle and artillery were considered obsolete. During the coup, an...