VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPU #1340/01 2051800
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241800Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3592
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1132
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0977
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0941

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001340 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PINS MOPS MASS HA FR
SUBJECT:  GOH CONSIDERS FORMING A GENDARMERIE 
 
REF:  Paris 4786 
 
(U) Sensitive but unclassified  protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  On the eve of his visit to Paris June 
29-30, President Preval publicly floated the idea of 
creating a Gendarmerie in Haiti, and reuested French 
assistance with this project.  The GOH wants to create a 
new force that could assume some of the security functions 
currently performed by MINUSTAH, as well as to free the 
police fro functions for which it is ill-suited (e.g., 
prison security; maritime control) in order to focus on 
core public safety tasks.  A French team visited Port-au- 
Prince July 18  22 for exploratory discussions with the 
e 
GOH, but was non-committal as to eventual support for a 
Haitian gendarmerie.  End summary. 
 
Prevals Plans for a Gendarmerie 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In a June 27 interview with French daily Le Monde, 
President Preval responded to a journalist's question about 
creation of a gendarmerie.  He said There needs to be a 
unit to provide frontier security; to protect public 
buildings, ports, airports; to intervene in cases of 
natural disaster; to stop contraband, and to participate in 
tasks such as forest protection.  I want to reflect on ways 
these functions can be linked to required national service, 
which is provided for in the constitution.  During his 
Paris visit, Preval formaly requested assistance from the 
GOF to create a French-style gendarmerie. 
 
French Evaluation Team Visits Port-au-Prince 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) A two-person French team visited Port-au-Prince July 
18  22 to follow up on the idea.  Led by Controlleur 
olleur 
General de la Police Paquy and including Lt. Col Cousin of 
the human resources office of the French Gendarmerie, the 
team met July 21 with ADCM and representatives of the DAO, 
MLO, and Narcotics Affairs Section.  While in Port-au- 
Prince, the team met with President Preval, the Minister of 
Justice, the Secretaries of State for Public Safety, the 
Director General of the National Police, and Presidential 
Advisor Bob Manuel, as well as MINUSTAH officials and other 
donors involved in support to the justice and security 
sector.  At the Embassy meeting, USG participants briefed 
on current training and assistance programs for the police 
and coast guard, and discussed the challenges of working to 
improve these institutions. 
 
¶4. (U) According to the French, the GOH plan is to create a 
force that would be able to replace capabilities currently 
provided by MINUSTAH but that eventually must be assumed by 
Haitians.  The government also wants to free the police 
from performing functions other than its core public safety 
responsibilities.  A gendarmerie could also be a vehicle 
for instituting a national service requirement in Haiti, 
the French said.  They noted that the current constitution 
provides for both a police force and a military force. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The French team members privately told DCM that 
they were disappointed by the meeting with Preval.  He 
offered no vision and no clear idea what he wanted from 
the gendarmerie.  They got more out of their session with 
Preval advisor Bob Manuel.  He proposed a gendarmerie that 
would focus on (1) response to natural disasters, (2) 
firefighting, (3) prison management and security, (4) 
border security and control, and (5) maritime security. 
- 
¶6. (SBU) The French team seemed somewhat skeptical of 
beginning a program to support a Haitian gendarmerie at 
this time.  Lt. Col. Cousin commented that, if they started 
now, they would probably come back in five years to find 
 find 
that all their work had been destroyed.  But the French 
team members admitted they would not make the final 
decision, but would merely present a recommendation for 
consideration at more senior levels of the GOF.  They 
promised to inform the embassy of any decision to proceed 
with support to a Haitian gendarmerie. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7.  (SBU) It is sensible to begin thinking about Haitis 
security needs in a post-MINUSTAH environment.  The GOH has 
correctly identified a number of functions in which its 
security services lack the necessary capacity.  In view of 
the problems the GOH already has in financing, staffing, 
and training the HNP, however, it is far from clear that 
creating a new security structure is a wise course of 
action.  If the GOH does go forward to establish a 
gendarmerie, the USG will need to ensure proper 
coordination with existing USG programs that already 
support the police, coast guard, and justice sector. 
 
SANDERSON