Haiti: Government begins building new military

Event

On Monday, July 17, the government began building a new military by holding a five-day recruitment drive that ends Friday, July 21. The new military will take the place of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) peacekeeping force, which is slated to leave Haiti by November 7, 2017. According to the Haiti Defense Forces, the force is defensive in nature rather than offensive military forces.

Context

The Haitian Armed Forces were originally disbanded in 1994. In 2011, Haitians began to be sent to Ecuador for military training, with 150 people receiving training through this program. While many in the political and business classes of Haitian society claim that Haiti has the constitutional right to raise a military, others have questioned where the poverty-stricken country will find the necessary financing.

MINUSTAH forces were deployed to Haiti in June 2004 via a UN Security Council Resolution following the exile of then-Haitian President Bertrand Aristide. Troop levels were increased in January 2010 to support Haiti in its recovery efforts in the wake of a devastating earthquake. The UN announced the planned departure of MINUSTAH troops in March 2017.