Yesterday the President of the Republic, Michel Martelly has reacted to the statements of a senior administration official from the United States suggesting that "...the way forward is really to focus on the Haitian National Police and their being able to get stronger and larger and more capable at doing their jobs..." instead of creating an army, the latter responded simply "It's their opinion" adding that "...Unfortunately they have not professionalized the PNH with the millions who go to the UN mission in Haiti..."

It is important to remember that the President Martelly in his plan "Policy of defence and national security" relies on the support of the Minustah to train his army "The implementation plan takes into account the potential contribution of the Minustah for its participation in the training of recruits and the availability of its bases for training and practice..."

For his part Mario Andrésol Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) indicates that there is "30.000 young people on a waiting list and I can not recruit them in the national police lack of means [...] In the last two budgets, I had zero gourd for the training..."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3965-haiti-politic-us-government-does-not-seem-in-favor-of-an-army.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3905-haiti-politic-the-project-of-a-security-force-divides-the-political-actors.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3898-haiti-security-all-the-details-on-the-project-of-the-new-national-force.html

HL/ HaitiLibre