This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA AND USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL PGOV HA
SUBJECT: HAITI'S NORTHERN EX-MILITARY TURN OVER WEAPONS; 
SOME TO ENTER NATIONAL POLICE 
 
REF: A. TRIBBLE-NICHOLS 3/08/05 EMAIL 
     ¶B. PAP 466 
     ¶C. 04 PAP 1910 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James B. Foley for Reasons: 1.4 (b&d) 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary: On March 13, more than 300 members of 
Haiti's demobilized military in Cap-Haitien turned over seven 
weapons and boarded buses to the capital.  Interim Prime 
Minister Latortue called the event a significant step forward 
in implementing the September 18 agreement (ref B) and said 
the ex-soldiers would all have access to the disarmament, 
demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process. Latortue said 
that integration into the HNP would be a possibility for 
some, but they had to understand that not everyone would make 
it into the police. The Interim Government of Haiti (IGOH) 
has both a golden opportunity, and a tremendous challenge, to 
see DDR get off to a good start. End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  At a ceremony Sunday March 13 attended by Interim 
Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue and SRSG Valdes, over 
300 members of Haiti's demobilized military turned over seven 
weapons in what the IGOH called a "symbolic disarmament" 
before boarding buses to the capital to enter a disarmament 
and reintegration program.  According to MINUSTAH's DDR chief 
Desmond Molloy, the seven dilapidated weapons included six 
M-14's and 1 sub-machine gun. 
 
¶3.  (U)  PM Latortue gave a speech to the ex-FADH calling the 
event a significant step forward in implementing the 
September 18 agreement (ref C) in which the IGOH promised to 
establish the Managing Office for Demobilized Soldiers to 
resolve outstanding ex-military issues and the ex-FADH 
promised to abandon public buildings (Note: the ex-FADH were 
occupying the former prison. End Note). Latortue said the 
ex-soldiers would all have access to the IGOH- and 
international community-led disarmament, demobilization and 
reintegration (DDR) process. Latortue said that integration 
into the HNP would be a possibility for some of the 
ex-soldiers, but they had to understand that not all of them 
would make it.  Ex-soldiers not qualified for the HNP could 
be hired into other public administration positions (e.g., 
customs, border patrol, etc.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Sunday's handover ceremony was quickly put 
together following a visit Latortue made to Cap-Haitien on 
March 7. Latortue had toured the airport and took the 
opportunity to meet with the Cap-Haitien ex-FADH commander, 
former sergeant Emmanuel Michel Dieusel (aka Manno). Manno's 
group had issued a statement last month (ref B) separating 
his group from armed gangs headed by Ravix Remissainthe and 
Gren Sonnen.  Within the statement, he said "we are ready to 
adhere to anyone's orders...designated by the government." It 
was during this meeting that Manno reportedly told the PM his 
group was prepared to demobilize. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Following the ceremony, a total of approximately 
325 men were put onto buses and brought to Port-au-Prince 
where they were installed at the Magistrate's School.  (Note: 
This location also currently houses the 49 men who had taken 
over and later surrendered from Aristide's Tabarre residence 
in December. An additional 30 men are also at the 
Magistrate's School after abandoning Petit-Goave.  End Note). 
 DDR chief Molloy told us that the total was supposed to be 
280, but that number grew by the end of Sunday. 
Approximately 25 men were excluded from the bus trip since 
the IGOH determined them to be "faux FAdH," i.e., armed 
combatants who were never members of the Haitian military. 
Manno told Molloy these men would return to Gonaives, but 
Molloy insisted they remain in Cap-Haitien and begin the DDR 
process there. 
 
¶6.  (C)  In preparatory discussions with MINUSTAH staff, some 
of the ex-soldiers in Cap-Haitien said they had been told by 
the PM's nephew and security advisor Youri Latortue and the 
PM's political advisor Paul Magloire that they would be 
admitted into the HNP.  This raised a red-flag for us and the 
rest of the international community and was a subject of the 
Core Group meeting March 12. The PM made clear this was not 
the case.  DDR Chief Molloy was pleased with the PM's 
message, particularly his public acknowledgment that the HNP 
was not an automatic option for the ex-FADH. 
 
¶7.  (C)  DDR Chief Molloy told us that the ex-military from 
Cap-Haitien are not yet under the purview of MINUSTAH's DDR 
program; rather they are under the auspices of the Managing 
Office for Demobilized Military (Note: according to Molloy, 
the Managing Office told him they were only informed by the 
PM's office March 11 of the plan to bus demobilized soldiers 
to Port-au-Prince. End Note). Nonetheless, Molloy faces the 
challenge of quickly housing several hundred ex-soldiers 
within the capital and jump-starting a DDR process that has 
little infrastructure in place.  Molloy expects the two 
separate groups to undergo different DDR programs (e.g., the 
Tabarre group would need a 30-day program; the Cap-Haitien 
group might need a 15-day program).  Molloy said he was 
against the ex-military being brought to Port-au-Prince 
(Note: DCM also voiced USG opposition to the move at the 
March 12 Core Group meeting. End Note.) arguing that it would 
have been easier to facilitate integration counseling in 
Cap-Haitien since MINUSTAH does not have a facility ready for 
them in Port-au-Prince. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Another problematic issue is funding.  Molloy told 
us March 9 that he has approximately $1.2 million available 
and that he was prepared to run separate sites concurrently. 
He said it would cost approximately $300,000 for a two-month 
DDR program capable of hosting 60 people.  Although Molloy 
intended to use different programs for different groups, he 
said he would "have a severe cash flow problem within 8-10 
weeks."  He asked us about the $3 million the USG had 
allocated of FY05 ESF for disarmament (ref A); we noted it 
was still awaiting final approval in Washington.  Molloy has 
requested an additional $2 million from the UN, but funding 
is "several months out." Molloy is seeking funding from 
Norway and Sweden and hoped to secure additional funding next 
month at a small arms conference in Geneva. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  During the past two weeks, UNOPS has been working 
to relocate both the Managing Office and the approximately 80 
individuals from the Magistrate's School to a former military 
camp in the Carrefour neighborhood outside of Port-au-Prince. 
 PolOff observed the proposed site March 3 and saw little 
more than a piece of land with a broken down wall surrounding 
it. UNOPS would have to provide tents and/or other facilities 
to make the desired location habitable, but expects to have 
it up and ready within two to three weeks.  It is not clear 
if the now 400 ex-military would all be sent to the Carrefour 
site. 
 
¶10.  (C)  Comment:  The symbolism of the ex-military 
disarming and leaving Haiti's second largest city represents 
a significant breakthrough.  However, several challenges 
remain.  The IGOH now has approximately 800 ex-military 
concentrated in the capital, most of whom will not be 
integrated into the HNP. Further, there is little 
infrastructure to house them as they go through 
reintegration, nor has a DDR mandate been signed by the 
government (although a commission has been named).  The IGOH 
has a golden opportunity, as does the international 
community, to see DDR get off to a good start. There is solid 
coordination amongst the Core Group with the IGOH to see this 
process succeed.  We continue to stress the need to link any 
future indemnity payments to the DDR process and argue that 
any ex-FADH going into the HNP meet the same entry 
requirements as a civilian.  If the IGOH can capitalize on 
this initial group of disarmed combatants and reintegrate 
them into society with a job (temporarily), it might be 
easier for them to convince other armed groups that they 
would be rewarded for laying down their arms, too.  End 
comment. 

FOLEY