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DE RUEHPU #0161/01 0321547
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FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7602
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1777
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1585
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO PRIORITY 0734
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 1008
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1414

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000161 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN AND ANGELIC YOUNG 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: HA PGOV PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN KTEX
SUBJECT: HAITI MONTHLY: JANUARY 2008 
 
PORT AU PR 00000161  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2. (U) Summary: This is a monthly report on various topics of 
interest which do not merit a full reporting cable. 
 
¶3. (U) STUDENT PROTESTS 
In mid- to late January, students barricaded themselves in 
the Haitian State University Faculty of Agronomy building, 
demanding the government place them in an agronomy program. 
One of the slogans of the sit-in was "Up with national 
production, down with imports."  The Ministry of Agriculture 
entered into negotiations with students, and reached 
tentative agreement the week of January 28 that the 
university would modify parts of the curriculum. 
 
¶4. (U) HAITI'S NUMBER 2 CARNIVAL: BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER 
Emboffs attended the annual Carnival celebration in the 
southern city of Jacmel, known for its hours-long parade of 
colorful, creative, and at times politically charged paper 
mache masks.  Jacmel holds its Carnival a week before 
Carnival in Port au Prince.  Minister of Culture and 
Communication Eddy Lubin, whose predecessor resigned 
following accusations of misappropriation of Carnival funds, 
observed the entire parade from his VIP viewing stand. 
Several Embassy officers were in attendance, and noticed a 
strong police presence and no incidents of public disorder. 
Jacmel received the second largest allocation (after 
Port-au-Prince) from the Ministry's USD 2.2 million allocated 
for Carnival 2008.  Jacmel Chamber of Commerce President 
Franz Large commented to Poloff that he was very proud of the 
city's 2008 Carnival, particularly noting high security and 
the renowned Jacmelien hospitality.  City leaders, 
desperately seeking to increase tourism to the city, hope the 
successful Carnival will bring an increase in overall 
tourism, according to Large.  Several revelers noted that the 
Carnival was better attended, and with more creative masks, 
than 2007. 
 
¶5. (U) MINUSTAH OUTLINES BORDER CONTROL EFFORTS 
MINUSTAH announced January 7 that it would initially focus 
border control efforts on the land crossings at Ouanaminthe, 
Belladere, Malpasse, and Anse-a-Pitres.  MINUSTAH plans to 
station a platoon of approximately 40 to 50 soldiers at each 
of these crossings.  MINUSTAH also intends to place a 
contingent of six United Nations police officers at each 
crossing.  After securing these land crossings, MINUSTAH 
would focus efforts on port control and later establish a 
maritime component. 
 
¶6. (SBU) BUT PEOPLE MUST TRAVEL 
Radio Metropole reported January 16 that despite the presence 
of Dominican and MINUSTAH forces on the Haitian-Dominican 
Republic land border, the border remains as porous as before 
their deployment.  (Comment: Embassy assesses this is 
probably the case; more time will be needed for increased 
MINUSTAH and Haitian National Police efforts to police the 
border to have any effect.  End comment.)  Meanwhile, 
reverberations continue in Haiti over the Dominican Republic 
government's increased repatriation of illegal Haitian 
migrants. 
 
¶7. (U) CHICKEN, EGGS, AND BANANAS 
Haiti continues to focus on perceived and anticipated 
retaliation by Dominican producers against the GoH' ban on 
Dominican chicken and egg imports due tothe discovery of the 
H5N2 avian flu virus.  Loca press report a threat by 
Dominican poultry and gg vendors to halt exports of all 
foodstuffs to Hiti if Haitian authorities do not lift the 
impor ban.  Separately, a major Haitian newspaper noted 
January 22 that the Dominican Republic has effecively 
stopped exporting bananas to Haiti after Topical Storm Noel 
reportedly damaged many Dominican banana plantations.  Since 
Haiti does not produce enough bananas to meet domestic 
demand, the price of bananas in Haiti has doubled. 
 
¶8. (U) PROTESTS AGAINST INFLATION 
 
PORT AU PR 00000161  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
A group numbering at least 500, reportedly from Cite Soleil, 
demonstrated peacefully January 25 in front of the parliament 
building against the rising cost of living - an issue that is 
becoming a focus of anti-government sentiment.  Radio Kiskeya 
reported January 23 that popular organizations affiliated 
with the Lavalas political party plan demonstrations against 
the GoH immediately after Carnival.  Several such groups 
appeared on TNH television news in mid-January declaring 
their intention to mount large demonstrations. 
 
¶9. (U) NEW SOCIALIST PARTY FORMS 
Louis Antoine Henry announced January 28 the formation of a 
new political party, the Haitian Socialist Movement of the 
21st Century (MOSOHA).  In a televised ceremony, Henry 
claimed his party, which advocates a more equitable 
distribution of resources, had 30,000 members and would field 
candidates in the upcoming senatorial elections.  (Comment: 
Though new and small parties are ubiquitous in Haiti, it 
remains unclear that MOSOHA has the capacity to field 
candidates in the upcoming elections, and who, if anyone, is 
bankrolling the party.  End comment.) 
 
¶10. (SBU) COMMISSION ON SECURITY TO CONSIDER SEVERAL 
ALTERNATIVES 
The Presidential Commission for Reflection on the 
Reinforcement of Security, headed by Patrick Elie, announced 
January 29 that its recommendations to reinforce security in 
Haiti will rely on consultations with all GoH institutions 
that have a role in security, on suggestions from private 
citizens, and on models from other countries such as Panama. 
A previous commission on the same subject presented a single 
recommendation -- that the GoH reconstitute the Haitian Army. 
 President Preval requested that the new commission take "a 
step back" and present him with multiple options, according 
to commission member and historian Georges Michel.  Elie 
announced that the commission is proposing two options:  a 
border protection or public security force composed either of 
professionals or individuals in "military service."  The 
latter would be capable of protecting Haitians from both 
internal and external conflicts, thereby eliminating the need 
for international intervention.  The Commission's press 
release noted that the Commission would soon release a 
preliminary report and a definitive report within a year. 
This issue "army or no army" for Haiti is not moving forward 
quickly, probably the design of President Preval. 
 
¶11. (SBU) GRAFFITI WARS 
Pro- and anti-Aristide graffiti is appearing in the upscale 
Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Pacot and areas near Prime 
Minister Alexis's office and residence.  In Pacot, the 
graffiti is pro-Aristide (typically "King Aristide" or "Live 
Aristide") whereas in the vicinity of the PM's office, the 
graffiti is anti-GoH (variations of "Down with Alexis").  In 
Pacot, unknown persons whitewash the graffiti, while in areas 
near the Primature, Alexis supporters simply scrawl over the 
offending messages.  Graffiti also has reappeared on the 
white walls of the parliament building, which were only 
recently painted in preparation for the January 14 opening of 
the new legislative session.  Graffiti denouncing Chief 
Prosecutor Claudy Gassant has begun to appear.  (Comment: 
Though political graffiti is commonplace in Port-au-Prince, 
the quantity and diversity of targets appear to be on the 
rise, perhaps signaling growing disenchantment with the GoH's 
performance.  End comment.) 
SANDERSON