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RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0198/01 0421625
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 2ND ZDK BRASILIA CLR SVC LOGS
R 111625Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7645
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1790
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1595
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1018
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1423
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 000198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
S/CRS 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
INR/IAA 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM EAID ASEC SOCI HA
SUBJECT: PETIT GOAVE POSTCARD: HARBINGER OF POLITICAL 
UNREST CALM IN 2008 
 
REF: 07 PORT AU PRINCE 1782 
 
PORT AU PR 00000198  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  The coastal city of Petit Goave (West 
Department), historically the vanguard of major uprisings in 
Haiti, is now largely calm - both politically and with 
respect to crime.  Former sworn political enemies now 
collaborate.  Like most of Haiti, Petit Goave suffers from 
neglect by the central government, and lacks the most basic 
municipal and state services, such as potable water, health 
care, sanitation and education.  MINUSTAH cites the 
possibility of drug trafficking, which local authorities 
deny.  Local government officials and police are poorly 
equipped to address these issues.  Local confidence in the 
Haitian National Police is far stronger than in MINUSTAH. 
Residents mistrust the mostly Sri Lankan local MINUSTAH 
detachment due to past sexual misbehavior and suspicion of 
ongoing criminal activity.  USAID implementing partners in 
Petit Goave -- IOM (International Organization for Migration) 
and CHF International -- tout progress in environmental 
protection, provision of potable water, sanitation and road 
conditions.  Like much of Haiti, the current stability in 
Petit Goave is superficial and precarious.  It will be 
difficult to maintain absent stronger economic growth and job 
creation, an expanded and better-equipped Haitian National 
Police presence, and greater financial support from the 
government in Port-au-Prince.  End summary. 
 
The Basics: Population, Economy, Politics 
--------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Poloff on January 9 visited Petit Goave, known as the 
starting point for past uprisings in Haiti.  Petit Goave is 
about 65 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince with a population 
of approximately 165,000, according to the 2004 census. 
Although Petit Goave suffered flooding during Tropical Storm 
Noel in October 2007, it was not declared an official 
''flooded area'' by the GoH, and thus received no recovery 
assistance.  The city has nothing by way of industry.  Its 
port is inoperable, though rumors abound that an American 
businessman wants to buy it and revitalize the tourist 
industry.  Politically, Petit Goave is traditionally a 
stronghold of MDN (Mobilization for National Development), a 
political party composed of many former military members. 
MDN is now part of the coalition GFCD (Grand Front of the 
Center Right), a right-wing pro-military alliance formed in 
2003 and currently holding no seats in the parliament.  The 
current mayor was elected under the GFCD banner, although the 
national deputy, Limongy Jean, is a member of Alyans. 
 
MINUSTAH Civil Affairs Assessment 
--------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) MINUSTAH Civil Affairs representative for Petit 
Goave, Blandine Umurerwa, cited to Poloff the presence of a 
multitude of associations, organizations and other civil 
society groupings in Petit Goave.  Local elected officials 
have expressed a desire to work with MINUSTAH on a concerted 
development plan.  Umurerwa sees ''enormous'' potential as a 
tourist destination, given the area's beautiful, if polluted, 
beaches.  Petit Goave already has a port, which is inoperable 
at the moment but could act as a boon to tourism.  The 
''dynamic'' populace possesses a certain political 
pragmatism: the elites and other politically active citizens 
of the commune have always known how to attract the attention 
of the national and international communities.  The city is 
very sensitive to, and engaged in, national politics, having 
actively participated in the overthrow of the Duvalier 
dictatorship and in pushing Jean-Bertrand Aristide's 2004 
departure.  MINUSTAH also cited the possibility of drug 
trafficking. 
 
USAID Partners on Politics and Development 
--------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Francois Fournier, head of IOM's PREPEP (Program de 
 
PORT AU PR 00000198  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Revitalization et de Promotion de l'Entente et de la Paix) 
project in Petit Goave, told Poloff that residents of Petit 
Goave proudly proclaim themselves ''very political,'' which 
Fournier explained translates as ''very violent.''  The 
ex-FAD'H (Armed Forces of Haiti) was very strong in Petit 
Goave three years ago when IOM began working in the city. 
Fournier, a Canadian with eight years of experience in Haiti, 
including several with MINUSTAH, described Petit Goave as 
''almost as violent as Gonaives, with an equally short 
fuse.''  Violent uprisings in recent Haitian history began 
alternatively in Gonaives (Artibonite Department) or Petit 
Goave.  Today the political situation is calm, with former 
partisans of the Democratic Convergence working side by side 
with members of Lavalas.  Fournier noted that this 
cooperation between former political foes would have been 
impossible just two years ago.  (Note: IOM focuses solely on 
urban areas in Haiti, going into ''hot-spots'' before most 
other NGO's in order to create some stability.  IOM has 
worked in Petit Goave since 2004.  End note.) 
 
¶6. (U) Poloff met with Irina Bulfinsky, CHF International 
project manager for Petit Goave.  CHF's job creation program, 
KATA (Konbit ak Tet Ansamb, literally "Work Crew with Heads 
Together") began by organizing a KATA Committee consisting of 
22 members of the local community, including local elected 
officials, community leaders, NGOs, and association leaders 
representing women, youth, people with disabilities, and the 
private sector to meet every two weeks to prioritize projects 
of vital interest to the commune.  KATA requires that 20 
percent of project costs be paid by the community, usually 
in-kind rather than with money.  KATA is also securing 
funding from some of Haiti's wealthy business leaders, 
including Gregory Mevs (President, Terminal Varreux) and 
Jean-Maurice Buteau (President of mango exporter JBM S.A.). 
The priority projects identified by the communities in 
collaboration with CHF include reforestation and 
environmental conservation; drainage canal construction and 
cleaning; public water fountains dispensing potable water; 
paving of major city streets; building a new market; and the 
paving of a rural road connecting seven communes that has 
fallen into disrepair. 
 
New Mayors Cite Many Needs 
--------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Poloff met with the three members of the mayoral 
council: principal mayor Marc Roland Justal and deputy mayors 
Emmanuela Osselin and Yves Lindor of GFCD (Grand Front of the 
Center Right).  Giving his laundry list of needs, Mayor 
Justal noted the GoH has neglected schools and health care 
services.  Petit Goave has no jobs, no businesses, and no 
functioning port.  The deputy mayors both thanked IOM for 
providing electricity and potable water, but complained that 
the town still faces a severe shortage of the latter.  Even 
so, they explained that rural parts of the commune are much 
worse off, as they have no HNP or MINUSTAH presence, no 
roads, schools, security, waer or electricity. 
Additionally, the agricultural sector is suffering from 
deforestation and a broen irrigation system, which the 
mayors noted theMinistry of Agriculture has put in the 2008 
budget.  The mayors said the central government tries to help 
Petit Goave but has no funding to do so.  The closest GoH 
offices are situated in Leogane, about 25 miles east.  The 
Ministry of Public Works (TPTC) has some rehabilitation 
projects for the principal roads. 
 
Police Lack Officers, Equipment 
--------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Petit Goave Police Commissar Pierre Nonchamp 
Beauzile told Poloff that while major crime incidents are 
rare, the number of police is inadequate to address the 
commune's security needs.  Fifty-five police (one female) are 
assigned to the commune, divided among three commissariats 
and 12 sub-commissariats.  The police force is short of 
equipment, including weapons, computers and fingerprinting 
equipment, which prevents them from looking up criminal 
records.  They have one car for the whole commune, and a 
 
PORT AU PR 00000198  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
small number of motorcycles.  Limited funds make it difficult 
for the HNP to investigate cases.  For example, when CHF's 
Bulfinsky questioned Beauzile about their investigation of 
the August kidnapping of a local engineer who had worked with 
CHF, he was unable to cite any evidence of follow-up on the 
investigation. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Beauzile asserted there are no drug traffickers in 
the commune except those that pass through en route from the 
southern coast to Port-au-Prince.  Major security concerns 
come from gang members from Port-au-Prince taking refuge in 
the surrounding hills.  There is no prison, and the single 
cell in the main commissariat often holds 40 to 50 prisoners 
at once.  MINUSTAH provides four UN Police, but they work 
with the HNP only during daylight hours.  The commissar 
emphasized the community's strong cooperation with the HNP, 
stating the people have confidence in the police and they 
have no conflicts.  He plans to launch a sensitivity campaign 
in May, primarily in schools, to further enhance citizens' 
confidence in the HNP.  (Bio Note: Beauzile was a member of 
the HNP's first graduating class in 1995.  He worked nine 
years for CIMO (riot control) in Port-au-Prince before 
becoming divisionary inspector in Delmas.  He has been 
Commissar of Petit Goave since May 2007.  End bio note.) 
 
UN Police: Improvements and Challenges 
--------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) UN Police Officer Louis Antoine (Cameroon), who has 
spent 14 months in Petit Goave, told Poloff that UNPol helps 
HNP investigate of many cases of assault and rape, most often 
perpetrated against neighbors and family members. 
Contradicting Commissar Beauzile's statement, he said it is 
difficult to collect evidence on crimes as residents are 
reticent toward the police and hesitate to report crimes.  He 
explained that part of the problem is fear of reprisal from 
criminal perpetrators.  He noted HNP improvements over the 
last 14 months, saying the police are more visible and patrol 
more frequently.  (Note: Citizens harbor a strong mistrust of 
MINUSTAH, according to Bulfinsky.  Members of the Sri Lankan 
Battalion, whose previous rotation was publicly accused of 
transactional sex and sexual involvement with minors (ref A), 
are also widely believed to steal residents' chickens and 
goats.  ''They don't spend a dime on the local market on 
food,'' according to one resident.  End note.) 
 
¶11. (SBU) Comment:  Petit Goave is no different from other 
Haitian cities outside the capital in that the security 
situation - both politically and in terms of crime - is 
generally calm, but the GoH fails to meet the basic needs of 
the population.  Petit Goave is unique in that it does not 
have a permanent gang presence as we see in the other 
hotspots.  Rather, it has a politically charged populace 
braced to fight for the cause of the day.  This propensity 
for sudden uprisings makes the city a bellwether for 
political unrest and an area to watch carefully.  Though 
their efficacy has yet to be truly tested, successful 
development programs appear to be easing existing tensions 
within the populace.  Nevertheless, absent real job growth, a 
larger and more capable Haitian National Police presence, and 
serious help from the central government, the stability we 
observed in Petit Goave will remain precarious. 
SANDERSON