ARTICLE - PNH PROBING DEATH OF FHP TROOPER

HAITI POLICE PROBING DEATH OF SLAIN FHP TROOPER
(Miami Herald) - By Jacqueline Charles

As the family of South Florida trooper Jean Barthelus wait for his body to be returned from Haiti, an investigation has been launched into his shooting death.

Haiti National Police investigators are looking into the death of a Florida Highway Patrolman killed in the Caribbean nation last Friday.

Jean Barthelus, 47, was in Haiti visiting his ailing wife when he was shot and killed in the Turgeau neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Initial reports say Barthelus was flagged down on a road, then shot and killed.

Rodrigue Pierre, assigned to Haiti’s Criminal Investigations Unit, said it is too early to draw any conclusions about Barthelus’s killing.

“The investigation is ongoing, and we are working on a number of hypotheses,” Pierre said. “The only thing we know is that he did not kill himself.”

Pierre and Haiti National Police (HNP) officials say they are receiving assistance from the Regional Security Office of the U.S. Embassy, as well as mentoring from U.S.-financed officers from the New York Police Department in the investigation. The NYPD officers are detailed from their department on a U.S. government-financed mentoring partnership with the HNP.

On Thursday, NYPD and HNP officers began a forensic investigation of Barthelus’ vehicle, Pierre said.

Barthelus’ violent death is among several high profile killings that have shocked Haiti recently. Late last month, four men confessed to killing Wesseler “Marie” Philippes, a Swiss woman, who was investigating the finances of an orphanage in northern Haiti. The two hired killers were paid $62.50 to kill Philippes, police said.

Last Saturday, hundreds of Haitians and U.S. Embassy personnel packed a Petionville church to mourn Marline Lamothe, trade and investment advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Lamothe, 40, lived in Miami before moving back to Haiti five years ago. She was attacked by gunmen and later died of her wounds in a Port-au-Prince hospital.

“She consistently displayed courage, dedication and hard work and provided excellent leadership to her development partners,” Elénita Lahens, said in an email circulated shortly after Lamothe’s death.

“Her work promoting trade and investment in Haiti and encouraging diaspora investments and the greater participation of the Haitian business community in development contributed significantly to economic growth and stability and the close relationship USAID/Haiti enjoys with Haiti businesses at all levels.”

ln the aftermath of the earthquake, Lamothe, a mother of two, worked closely with the U.S. teams in their search and rescue efforts even while her own mother remained missing and presumed dead. Her body was discovered two weeks later under the rubble.

While kidnapping and other serious crimes are trending down, police say, the high profile deaths are a major concern.

Like with Barthelus’ killing, HNP’s investigation into Lamothe’s killing is receiving assistance from NYPD.

The family is planning to bury him next weekend, said Dorothy Borgelin, a cousin of Barthelus. They were anxiously awaiting the arrival of his body from Haiti on Friday, she said.

U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson called the killing “senseless” and “brutal.” She said in a statement that she worked with “other state and federal agencies to relieve his family of the economic burden of recovering his body.”

“Trooper Barthelus was a beloved husband, father, son and brother,” she said. “He was the bedrock of his family, and they will need the support of the South Florida family as they cope with this tragic loss.”

Barthelus is survived by his wife, daughter, mother and several brothers and sisters. His brother, sister and mom all live in North Miami. Mayor Andre Pierre, who has visited the family, called on residents to help.

“I ask all of you, whatever you can do, please do so,’’ Pierre said from the dais at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “The family is struggling."

Councilman Michael Blynn asked the city to donate money to the family and the city pledged to donate $10,000.

“This shows the humanity and love of this city for law enforcement officers,” Blynn said. Miami Herald Staff Reporter Nadege Green contributed to this report.

ARTICLE - FADH - NO SURRENDER OF WEAPONS

"WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF SURRENDERING OUR WEAPONS"
(Haiti Libre) -

Former Senator Youri Latortue, informed Thursday, that the issue of the demobilized former military, and men in fatigues from various origins, had been discussed Monday during the meeting of the Supreme Council of the National Police (CSPN).

He indicated that authorities were awaiting the decisions of justice, for fifty "former military", arrested on May 18-19, and who are currently in custody. Adding that the authorities intended to recover the weapons in possession of these individuals during this time, the compensation program of [true] demobilized former soldiers, continued.

For his part, Marcel Daniel called by his men "Commander Moïse", who led a group of men who illegally occupied the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture in Cap-Haitien (since evacuated), ruled out any possibility of the laying down, or surrender, of their weapons. "We have no intention to surrender our weapons". Moreover, wishing to put an end to rumors, he wanted to clarify that he was not in hiding, and that he was working at an address known by all.

He again requested President Martelly not to bow to pressure from some members of the international community, who are opposed to the return of the army; adding that after the end of the school year, "a response will be given to the international community [...] We will soon launch an operation to break the chains that paralyze the Head of State... [?]"

ARTICLE - PNH IN THE COMMUNAL SECTIONS

THE PNH IN THE COMMUNAL SECTIONS WITHIN A YEAR?
(Haiti Libre) -

Former Senator Youri Latortue, Political Advisor to the Head of State, informed that he had proposed to the Supreme Council of the National Police (CSPN) a plan, which had received approval from police authorities aimed at extending the police presence in the 570 Communal Sections of the country.

The plan, which proposes the recruitment of 5 police officers by communal section, will need about 400 million gourdes for an operating budget, and will require nearly a $10 million investment. The former Senator said that Marie Carmelle Jean Marie, the Minister of Economy and Finance, who was present at the meeting, promised to seek financial resources for this project.

Youri Latortue, stressed that if the National Police of Haiti, starts up this process quickly, these new agents could be deployed within a year throughout the country, contributing by their presence, to strengthen the rule of law, while promoting the maintenance of harmonious relations between people, local authorities and the courts.

ARTICLE - PNH CELEBRATES 17TH ANNIVERSARY

THE PNH CELEBRATES ITS 17TH ANNIVERSARY
(Haiti Libre) -

President Martelly, participated on Tuesday at the official ceremony for the celebration of the 17th anniversary of the Haiti National Police (PNH), at the Police Academy, on Route de Frères, in Pétion-Ville.

The ceremony that took place under the sign of friendliness, brought together people from all vital sectors of the country: the Government, Parliament, the judiciary, the diplomatic and consular corps, as well as human rights organizations.

The President of the Republic congratulated the PNH for the road traveled in this great mission to protect and serve. The Head of State recalled that the great crises of insecurity at a certain moment had overshadowed the police, and are practically resolved.

Faced with the various problems confronted by the agents of the different specialized Units of the PNH, the Head of State said he was ready to do everything possible to assist them to improve their living conditions. To this end, he announced the strengthening of the ONAVILLE project, which, according to him, could help the police find housing at a much more decent and a reasonable price.

The ceremony was also an opportunity for the Head of State, to participate in the awarding of certificates of the 9th promotion, to 153 new inspectors graduated from the PNH.

ARTICLE - CPSN MEETING

MEETING OF CSPN ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY
(Haiti Libre) -

The Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, presided, earlier this week in the offices of the Primature, a meeting of the Supreme Council of the National Police (CSPN), during which important issues were discussed in order to improve the general security situation in the country.

At this meeting were invited: Mr. Rudolph Joazil, Minister of National Defense, Ms. Marie Carmelle Jean-Marie, Minister of Economy and Finance, former Senator Youri Latortue, Adviser to the President of the Republic, Reginald Delva, Secretary of State for Public security, and Leon Charles, Head of the Coordination Office of CSPN.

The Chief of Government announced several projects for the benefit of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), of which the order of new firearms, the rehabilitation and the construction of infrastructure for the Corps of Intervention and Maintenance of Order (CIMO) and the camp of Lamentin, the acquisition of equipment for the maintenance of order, water trucks, and other heavy equipment.

In parallel, the issue of demobilized soldiers was discussed. In this regard, the Prime Minister indicated, and this was confirmed by the Minister of Economy and Finance, that the funds to pay the second installment was already available in the account of the office in charge of the management of demobilized soldiers.

For his part, Senator Youri Latortue gave a presentation of a draft for a communal police, supported by the Chief Inspector General of the National Police. The objective of this project is to improve the security climate throughout the country.

Finally, other essential provisions have been addressed; notably, it was agreed to establish a Rapid Intervention Force within the PNH, in order to seal the city of Port-au-Prince, strengthen the fight against kidnappings, consider the establishment of an extended Directorate of Civil Protection, and the amplification of the fight against smuggling.

ARTICLE - EXAMPLE OF INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED (Haiti Libre) -

The Supreme Council of the National Police (CSPN) has indicated it commitment to restore the authority of the State for the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law. The Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, Wednesday welcomed the recent operations, from Friday 18 to Sunday, of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), against men in military fatigues, who illegally occupied various public spaces and which led to the arrest of fifty people; stating that, "Security is one of the most important points for us in the country", and announced the implementation of a security plan to increase police presence in some strategic areas. For Laurent Lamothe, justice must now pursue the leaders of these groups and judge them, and he calls upon all concerned authorities to redouble their efforts to clearly state the authority of the State.

Message received by Rodolphe Joazile, the new Minister of Defence, and former military, for whom the operations against the former military, "must be pursued up to the gates of hell in order to bring them to justice..."

Remarks that clearly encourages, Jean Renel Sanon, the Minister of Justice, who says: "I will be merciless [...] I will ask the maximum sentence for these young people involved..."

Jean Renel Sénatus, the Government Commissioner abounds in the same direction, also saying that "The maximum penalty will be sought before a criminal court against those accused of plotting against the safety of the state, for conspiracy and misuse of title..."

For his part, Réginald Delva, the Secretary of State for Public Security, mentioned the initiation of an investigation to determine responsibility, of the alleged former former soldiers in the various incidents that occurred in the country. In parallel he ensures that as a member of the Interministerial Commission responsible to negotiate a solution to end the crisis with former members of FAd'H, he keeps the door open, claiming to be in contact with leaders of the movement of demobilized soldiers...

On the other hand, Réginald Delva said that he was pleased that these operations have caused no injuries, and commends the professionalism of the PNH. An affirmation that contradicts the Prime Minister, who in a statement Wednesday, said: "Sympathies to the officers of the National Palace who were injured and other collateral victims who were on the scene at the time of the incidents..." or that of the Ambassador of France in Haiti, Didier Lebret, who said "there were no injuries, or very few anyway..."

Undoubtedly, the CSPN strongly affirms its commitment to restore the authority of the state, and clearly intends to make of the recent arrests, a powerful example in the eyes of the population. His only wish is that it be done in strict compliance with the law and in view of the rule of law; and not to increase the political capital of Government. Justice for all and independencw that's what people expect.

ARTICLE - HAITI TO CONTINUE PAYING EX-SOLDIERS

HAITI TO CONTINUE PAYING COMPENSATION TO REBEL EX-SOLDIERS
(Prensa Latina)-

Port au Prince - The Haitian government plans to continue paying compensation requested by a group of former soldiers mutinied since early this year, an official source announced on Wednesday.

Col. Jean-Claude Jeudy, in charge of dealing with the case in court, informed that in spite of violent incidents registered last month with the former soldiers, the Interior Ministry will pay this month's amount.

Members of the former National Armed Forces (FADH) took several military areas on the outskirts of the capital in January and refused to leave, ignoring President Michel Martelly's orders.

In mid-May, thousands of them marched through the capital and Cap Haitien (north) demanding the restoration of the Army, in a demonstration resulting in at least two wounded, some 50 detainees and widespread chaos in main cities.

After the incident, UN and local police forces made them leave the barracks.

They first demanded $15 million USD in compensation for damages after the demise of the Army 18 years ago.

However, when the government agreed to pay, they rejected the move and said they would only be satisfied when the Army is restored.

ARTICLE - CRACKDOWN ON WOULD-BE SOLDIERS

HAITI POLICE, UN CRACK DOWN ON WOULD-BE SOLDIERS
(FOX) - AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE – Haitian police and U.N. peacekeepers have begun cracking down on bands of armed men lobbying for the country to restore its armed forces, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

Lt. Cmdr. Jim Hoeft said U.N. troops and national police officers set up checkpoints Sunday in Haiti's capital and others parts of the country and detained two armed men in downtown Port-au-Prince wearing military fatigues. They were then taken to a police station.

The effort aims to discourage an illegal group of armed men from parading around Port-au-Prince in military uniforms as if they were on patrol. The lightly armed men have been seen directing traffic and even sweeping streets.

"These checkpoints were set up because there's a stability issue with a proclaimed armed force that hasn't been officially created by the government of Haiti," Hoeft said by telephone.

Despite repeated orders from the government of Haitian President Michel Martelly, the men haven't stopped carrying their weapons or cleared out of several former military bases they took over three months ago.

Led by a group of veterans, they hope Martelly will honor his campaign proposal to restore the armed forces, which were abolished in 1995 because of their abusive past. They also want to lead an interim force until Martelly formally establishes the military.

Foreign diplomats have opposed restoration of the military, saying money should go toward the understaffed police force and rebuilding following the 2010 earthquake.

The armed men have become an embarrassment to the Haitian government and the United Nations. Their military-like presence summons uncomfortable memories of private militias that worked on behalf of earlier administrations.

Yves Jeudy, a former sergeant and one of the leaders of the armed group at a base outside Haiti's capital, confirmed that police and the U.N. troops detained two of the men but didn't have any other details.

ARTICLE - SECRET HAITIAN ARMY

SECRET HAITIAN ARMY MAKES DEMANDS TO BE MADE OFFICIAL
(Scotsman)-

In the fishing village of Raboteau near the northern Haitian city of Gonaïves, 12 men gather around, mournful but eager to talk about what happened 18 years ago. They argue over the details; not all memories are the same. Some were beaten, others tortured, and some, who had hidden, watched in horror.

All saw the brutality of the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H), which terrorised the nation during the regimes of Francois Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude, and later General Raoul Cédras in the 1990s.

At around 4am on 22 April, 1994, FAd’H soldiers supported by members of the death squad known as FRAPH (Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti) went to the township.

At the time, Raboteau was a hotbed of opposition to the junta of Cédras, whose regime had been responsible for upwards of 3,000 killings since ousting president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991.

In a final attempt to silence demands for the return of the former president, troops burst into the homes of villagers as they slept. Many ran towards the beach, leaping into fishing boats or trying to swim away.

Anticipating their escape route, the army was moored offshore, machine guns at the ready. Estimates indicate that between 26 and 50 people died but the survivors, and the lawyer who helped them bring a landmark case against the perpetrators, believes the toll was higher.

“More, more than that,” they protest when we present them with the figures. “There was a big boat with about 50 people alone, bringing goods to Gonaïves. They killed everyone on it.”

“I’ve heard that too,” says human rights lawyer Mario Joseph. “The military stayed for many days, burying bodies.”

The FAd’H was disbanded in 1995 by Aristide, who took power a year earlier after American intervention. His decision to scrap the force has been deemed the greatest leap forward made by Haiti since independence.

Now, almost two decades after Raboteau, the shadow of the military looms once more.

In recent months, a rogue army – numbering an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 – have occupied former FAd’H camps. They are demanding to be included in a new force promised by president Michel Martelly. This has struck fear into the hearts of those who suffered under the FAd’H for years, and alarmed western diplomats.

Mr Martelly says an army is necessary to bolster his overwhelmed police force. Critics say it’s the last thing Haiti needs.

High on the president’s promises, the “soldiers” began training before the military rebuilding plan had been put in motion. They have ignored orders to put down their weapons, and a hardcore group is demanding status as an interim force until the government decides on a formal structure.

The 10,000-strong UN stabilisation mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the Haitian National Police (PNH) are the other players in the drama. With the PNH ill-equipped to deal with the crisis, it is thought MINUSTAH troops could disband the camps if a peaceful solution cannot be found.

At Camp Lamentin, a former military base in Port-au-Prince, we are greeted by one-time Sergeant Larose Aubin, who looks every inch ex-army. Most of the uniformed men around him, however, would have been children when the FAd’H disbanded.

No-one knows who is funding them, but they have new vehicles, tents, food, and guns. Sgt Aubin starts our chat with a broadside at the UN.

“MINUSTAH came to bring peace to the country but peace is not there – it’s a war,” he says. “This is the reason the Haitian people want the army back.”

Do they? Even at Raboteau, reaction is mixed, confusing.

“The army has big guns, the police only have little guns,” one man says of the added protection a new force might offer. Remarkably, it seems some in the village are willing to forgive.

At Camp Lamentin, as Sgt Aubin explains how different and more disciplined this new force will be, two of his trainees begin a fistfight right behind us.

“Anyway,” he says, breaking ten seconds of awkward silence. “If [the government] do not accept us, then something will happen and they will not be able to deal with it.”

Some 150 men and women start singing at the prompting of former Sgt Yves Jeudy, who says his group will not partake in a government pay-off plan and sets a 18 May deadline for Mr Martelly to deliver. “Liberty or death!” they cry.

ARTICLE - FORMER SOLDIERS DEMAND ARMY

HAITI'S FORMER SOLDIERS DEMAND REINSTATEMENT OF ARMY
(Guardian.co.uk) - By Michael Norby and Brian Fitzpatrick

Up to 3,000 rogue soldiers challenge authority of government and UN troops by staging parades and seizing abandoned bases

UN and Haitian government officials are scrambling to find a peaceful way to disarm a rogue group of former soldiers demanding the immediate return of the Haitian armed forces, 17 years after the country's notoriously brutal army was disbanded.

A brazen group of ex-soldiers, some of whom are remnants of dictatorships which used the army to terrorise the people, is attempting to force the president, Michel Martelly, to enact campaign promises to reinstate the army.

The group is thought to number between 2,500 and 3,000 and has set 18 May as a deadline.

"We're not joking around," said Larose Aubin, a former army sergeant, at a recent press conference. "We're going to come with force and with the population, and we will get what we're looking for. Even if we lose our lives, we will fight. They can't kill us all."

Another former sergeant, Yves Jeudy, said: "After 18 May, if the government hasn't done anything, they will see what happens. We're not going back and they need to give us an answer quick. We're running out of patience."

Although they began training immediately after Martelly's inauguration last year, the former soldiers upped the ante this February by seizing abandoned army bases throughout the country. Since then, armed men and women in military fatigues have paraded in various towns, performing traffic stops in full view of Haitian national police and UN troops.

Martelly intends to proceed with the creation of a new army and has appointed a presidential commission to do so, but the plan is expected to exclude all but a few from this rogue element and is still a few years away from completion.

An effort to disperse the former soldiers by offering the leaders their long-owed military pensions and back pay has not been successful. Most of the young recruits are ineligible for this scheme.

Matters escalated on 19 April when up to 50 men in uniform – some armed with hand grenades – arrived at the parliament building and disrupted a legislative session discussing the ratification of the prime-minister-designate, Laurent Lamothe.

The leading Haitian human rights lawyer Mario Joseph said Martelly's promises on the army's return had created a vacuum being filled by opportunists.

"It's the president who created the whole storm," he said. "He's set it up perfectly for violence. A lot of people want the army to come back because they think they can get jobs from it. They have no idea what they are getting themselves into."

Labelling the turn of events Haiti's "little monster", the UN stabilisation force for Haiti (Minustah) spokeswoman Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg acknowledged that although exhaustive measures were being taken, the situation was deteriorating.

"Things are now moving fast and we are discussing it with the government," she said. "We are in a very sensitive situation and we have to make sure that we keep it as stable as possible.

"As with every peacekeeping mission under chapter seven [of the UN charter], force is the last resort. But we are monitoring the situation very closely and we will not let anyone destabilise the country."

If force is ultimately needed, chapter seven approves military action when peace is threatened. But just how the Haitian people would react to armed intervention from the 7,500-strong UN force is of grave concern.

Since arriving in Haiti in 2004, Minustah's reputation has been tarnished by violent incursions into Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods such as Cité Soleil and Bel-Air, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties. Matters have been compounded by the conviction of two Pakistani peacekeepers for rape and last year's cholera outbreak, which many suspect was brought to Haiti by Nepalese blue helmets.

The upshot, according to Georges Michel of the presidential commission, is that the rebel soldiers are more popular than the UN peacekeepers.

"The people are with them," he said. "This would be a major catastrophe for President Martelly if he calls upon Minustah to crack down on them. They will be seen as heroes and Martelly as the villain. So a peaceful and political solution must be found."

Martelly returned to Port-au-Prince on Monday after spending two weeks in Miami for treatment for a blood clot on his lung and it is thought that a decision on how to deal with matters is imminent. The group has now ignored repeated orders from the president to lay down arms.

Minustah analysis suggests the group is not very well armed, yet when asked if his group had access to sufficient weaponry, Jeudy seemed amused. As his men repeated a chant of "freedom or death!" the veteran gave a bold response.

"We're military," he said. "And you know what a military can do."

ARTICLE - POLICE CASE

AN ALLEGED POLICE KILLER'S CORPSE UNDER THE ORDERS OF JUSTICE
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The corpse of one of the alleged murderers of police Walky Calixte was placed under the orders of justice during the past weekend, according to Jean Renel Senatus. The government commissioner in Port-au-Prince has promised that justice will soon shed light on the assassination, which sparked protests paralyzing the town of Carrefour (south), and part of the metropolitan area last Monday.

The government prosecutor wants to quickly resolve this matter. “The investigation will not continue indefinitely this time", reassured the Commissioner.

The government commissioner upheld the forfeiture of the corpse of a young man who allegedly participated in the murder of the policeman. "According to information we have gathered, one of the alleged assassins had been hit by two bullets, one in the thigh and one in the testicles in a gunfight with the police. Rushed to the Hospital in Delmas 31 (North), the suspect died of his injuries and his body was deposited in a private morgue in the capital, "said Jean Renel Senatus, noting that it is currently to the hospital morgue by order of prosecution of the Civil Court of Port-au-Prince.

After working all weekend on this case, Jean Renel Senatus confirms he ordered the confiscation of the corpse of the young man who was registered under the name Junior Ciméus in the private morgue. Accompanied by one parent in a private car, he was identified as Junior Thermidor by hospital administration. He is also known also known as Johnny, "The official said the prosecution of the Civil Court of Port-au-Prince sees a set of indices that could justify the thesis of his alleged involvement in the murder of the policeman.

The young man, who resided in the town of Carrefour, told his doctors before he died that he had been shot near La Marine Haitienne, said Senatus, trying to make the connection with the assassination of Police Walky Calixte in Martissant.

ARTICLE - DISCIPLINARY MEASURES - STRIKE

DISCIPLINARY MEASURES PLANNED AGAINST THE STRIKERS
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Michel Brunache, and the Director General of the National Police of Haiti, Mario Andresol (photo), raised the possibility of punishing the police strike of April 23 under the principles of ethics.

Michel Brunache told the press that "if police officers were involved in the troubles of Monday, I regret that I'll have to take disciplinary action against them."

The Minister of Justice resigned “assured his support to the High Command of the National Police for all legal and regulatory measures to return to calm" in a note dated April 23.

The Director General of the National Police of Haiti, Mario Andresol, for his part, disagreed with the strike of his troops, who mourn one of their murdered comrades.

"We will not accept any deviant behavior," insisted the chief executive of the National Police of Haiti, outraged by the strike on Monday of the various units of the police institution. Law and internal regulations governing the Police force, he said, do not allow for a strike and protest. "It is not the right way to do things. I want the police to get back to work," commented Andrésol, who returns to office after several months of convalescence from a surgery.

Some sectors that Mario Andresol has not indexed would be behind the movement of police, causing a confusing situation in the country. "This is how the Armed Forces of Haiti have been dismantled. They have been infiltrated by manipulators, "said the former officer of the disbanded army.

A group of police officers observed a work stoppage throughout the day on April 23 in protest against the assassination of their colleague, Walky Calixte, killed while driving his car in the Martissant area on April 17, 2012.

Brothers in arms and the victim's relatives suspect Deputy Sejour Rodriguez of masterminding the crime.

In a press note, the MP presented his sympathies to the bereaved relatives of the police, and says that he is involved in this case.

ARTICLE - ROGUE FORCE WON'T DISBAND

HAITI ROGUE FORCE REFUSES TO DISBAND
  (AP) - By Evens Sanon

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A rogue band of armed men pushing for revival of Haiti's military are refusing to disband and clear out of old military bases, the leaders of the group said Tuesday, despite repeated orders from the government.

In a news conference at an army barracks just outside Haiti's capital, several veterans of the defunct army said Haitian officials broke a promise by failing to appoint them to the helm of an interim force until the military is officially reinstated.

"We've decided that we're not going to back down," said former Sgt. Larose Aubin, who was flanked by a mix of ex-soldiers and younger recruits. "We're not going to keep doing press conferences."

Aubin and the other former officers made their strongest demand yet since they began recruiting men and a few women a year ago with the hope that the armed force disbanded in 1995 would be reinstated. President Michel Martelly raised their hopes further by saying as a candidate, and then in office, that he would bring back the military, a goal that has met opposition from Western embassies.

The Haitian government has repeatedly ordered the former soldiers and their followers, which number about 3,500, to vacate the old bases they seized several months ago, but it has taken no concrete action. Since then, the rogue force has paraded around the country in pickup trucks and carried weapons as if on patrol.

Last week, about 50 men in military fatigues, some of them armed, disrupted a legislative session when they showed up to speak to lawmakers about the government's plans for them.

Their presence has become increasingly worrisome to Western diplomats, who have described the armed men as "paramilitary elements."

The United Nations' envoy to Haiti, Mariano Fernandez, called the parliament incident "an unacceptable act of intimidation."

Police Chief Mario Andresol said on Haitian radio Monday that the country has only one public security force, the national police department, along with the U.N. peacekeeping mission.

On Tuesday, leaders of the band said they had met with senior officials who agreed to appoint them to the high command of an interim force until the government officially restores the army by decree. They also said they expected a response from Haitian authorities within 72 hours, but instead heard over the radio that the government ordered them to leave the bases.

The Interior Ministry said it plans on Wednesday to give back pay to former soldiers who can show proof that they served in the military. The ex-soldiers have long argued they are entitled to $15 million in lost wages and pensions.

But the group of ex-soldiers said they have no intention of showing up, pointing to an earlier effort by the government that proved futile.

"We're telling them that the army must return," Aubin said. "Liberty or death. Victory will be for us no matter what."

Reached by telephone, Justice Minister Michel Brunache declined to comment.

ARTICLE - DISBAND HAITI'S ROGUE ARMY

DISBAND HAITI'S ROGUE ARMY
(Miami Herald) - Editorial

OUR OPINION: Haiti’s government and its supporters must act quickly to end threat

With the beginning of hurricane season only 40 days off, Haitians should be worried about protection from the annual onslaught of stormy weather, but instead another crisis is shaking the Caribbean’s perennially troubled country: A rogue force of “paramilitaries” that neither the government of President Michel Martelly nor anyone else is eager to confront has become a dangerous menace to public order, raising questions about who’s in charge.

For several weeks, the presence of this unofficial army has been hard to miss. In February, they occupied abandoned army barracks, settling in without much objection from any authority. Gradually, they have become bolder and bolder. They paraded around Cap-Haitien and Port-au-Prince earlier this month on Haiti’s traditional Constitution Day, and last week as many as 50 members, some of them armed, disrupted Parliament, forcing lawmakers to suspend business for the day.

The force is said to number anywhere from 2,000 to 3,500 mostly young men and women, apparently led by ex-army officers. Officially, Haiti has had no army since it was disbanded years ago by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide at U.S. insistence because it was a persistent threat to civilian control. But many of those officers never resigned themselves to being out of power.

Early on, the force was seen primarily as a nuisance, a distraction from the business of getting Haiti back on its feet after the disastrous 2010 earthquake. But the intrusion of the paramilitaries in Parliament should end all hope that they will just fade away.

Although the force is said to be only “lightly armed,” it poses a threat to the government because no one knows who’s behind them or what their intentions are. Haitians and members of the international community working to rebuild the country are asking whether they represent a force unto themselves more powerful than Mr. Martelly’s government.

All of this comes at a time when there is no effective government in place. Former Prime Minister Garry Conille, who had the support of the international community, resigned on Feb. 24 under pressure from Mr. Martelly. He remains in office until a successor is ratified by Parliament, but without effective authority. At the same time, 10 members of the Senate will see their terms expire in May, but no date has been set for a new election because of the endemic political bickering that makes Haiti a nearly ungovernable state.

The U.N. security force in Haiti issued a statement after the caper in Parliament deploring it as “an unacceptable act of intimidation” and put its own military patrols in place to prevent a repetition. But it failed to pursue the outlaw force and has refused to take responsibility for putting an end to the threat it represents.

Similarly, Mr. Martelly — from a hospital in Miami where he was said to be recovering from a pulmonary ailment — issued a statement declaring that “the formation of a new public force can only be done in an orderly and disciplined fashion and in observance of the laws in force.”

That sends a mixed signal. Mr. Martelly must clearly and unequivocally label them outlaws and ask for help from the U.N. force and from the United States, which has also failed to speak up in defense of Haiti’s stability.

The paramilitaries have to be disarmed and disbanded, and their leaders arrested for posing a threat to public order. Haiti has enough problems getting the country back together without having to deal with a rogue army in its midst.

ARTICLE - FAD'H - SOLUTION NEXT WEEK?

FORMER DEMOBILIZED MILITARY, A SOLUTION NEXT WEEK?
(Haiti Libre) -

Réginald Delva, Secretary of State for Public Security, declared Friday that a solution will be found once and for all, next week about the illegal occupation of former bases of FAd'H [Armed Forces of Haiti], and of public buildings by men in fatigues, and sometimes armed claiming to be former members of FadH, and claiming among other things, the payment of their salaries, unpaid for 18 years...

"...once and for all, in the days ahead. I think this problem will be resolved and certainly we want to solve it peacefully. We want to resolve it through dialogue, and I think that there are lots of possible solutions on the table, that we are exploring, and I think that by next week we will have to take stock of what has been achieved in relation to this crisis [...] to calm the spirits in relation to the former military, who indeed are impatiently awaiting [the payment of their salaries for 18 years].

We will take steps, we have already spoken with the office of the demobilized military to see how we will launch an appeal so that this is starting to be done, to allow everyone to go back to their homes, empty the camps in calm, in a formula that will allow everyone to be happy, with a final solution that we will find next week [...]

[...] It is not these gentlemen who will decide what will be done; it is the State. President Martelly spoke of a rule of law in all his campaigns, and so far we are here to make it respected. There is a Commission that was set up which must issue a final decision on the question of the new public force, so I think it is very clear. That's why we are doing a lot of dialogue. We are talking, observing, and are exploring several options. You will see very soon, that we will find a final solution to this problem..."

ARTICLE - 27,000 + POLICE CANDIDATES

MORE THAN 27,000 POLICE OFFICER CANDIDATES FOR THE 5TH COMPETITION OF RECRUITMENT
(Haiti Libre) -

As part of the 2012-2013 Development Plan of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), co-signed by the Minustah and the Directorate of the PNH, which includes the training of 16,000 police officers by 2016, 27,085 candidates will take part, tomorrow Sunday, April 22, in 28 centers [16 are located in Port-au-Prince, and 12 in other departments], for the 5th competition of recruitment for officers of the 24th promotion for the PNH.

This is the principle of the list of reserve candidates who have been selected for this recruitment. Also, for the 12,085 recently registered candidates, were added 15,000 additional candidates aged under 30, already in the database, but who had not yet passed the exam.

From the results of this written test, will be selected those who will pursue other stages of recruitment.

Each candidate has the obligation to appear at the center where he inititally enrolled.

ARTICLE - NERVOUSNESS WITHIN THE PNH

NERVOUSNESS WITHIN THE PNH
(Le Nouvelliste) - By Robertson Alphonse

Three police officers have been assassinated in the last 48 hours, in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince. The death of Walky Calixte, implicated to be done by those close to a deputycharged to close relations d' a deputy, put fire to the powders. Police officers in anger transformed themselves into "cow-boys" on Rue Chavannes.

Twenty-four hours after unidentified individuals shot him down with several shots, the police officer Walky Calixte, 27 years, aboard his vehicle, in Martissant; many of his brothers is arms assigned to the Traffic Service designated the “culprits”: as the deputy from the first district of Port-au-Prince, Rodriguez Sejour, and his men.

Furious, these police officers went to Rue Chavannes, uttered death threats, riddled the vehicle of the deputy with bullets, a guest on the program “Intersection” on Radeio Caraibes FM. The deputy Rodriguez Sejour, according to these police officers, is the instigator “of the assassination of Walky Calixte”.

The police officer Walky Calixte had arrested of Charles Marc Junior, of Petit-Four, with a gun of 9 millimetres belonging to the member of Parliament. Just before the release by the Parquet court of Port-au-Prince of Charles Marc Junior, nephew of the deputy's wife, individuals on board vehicles with tinted windows had returned to threaten Walky Calixte and two other police officers, protested the police officers in anger.

The deputy rejects these accusations.

Deputy Rodriguez Séjour, “who is in hiding for safety reasons”, talked on the telephone with the newspaper, and has rejected any implication (of him or his close relations) in the death of the police officer, Walky Calixte. “There weren't threats against the deceased police officer nor against any other police officers, following the interpellation of my driver, the nephew of my wife. I was at the office of the government commissioner with the police officers who carried out this interpellation and the atmosphere was convivial”, highlighted Deputy Rodriguez Séjour. “Ask the government commissioner”, he recommended.

“The weapon confiscated is my personal weapon. The police force had it in their possession. UNPOL analyzed it before returning it to me at the Parquet court, yesterday, before the football game”, indicated Deputy Rodriguez Séjour, anxious after seeing that police officers in uniform had riddled his vehicle with bullets, and uttered death threats against his person, while he took part in the "Intersection" program.

Judgment, comprehension, apprehension

This is a deplorable incident”, reacted Jean Monard Métellus, a journalist at Radio Caraibes and organizer of the "Intersection" program. “Even if you have objections against somebody, this is not the way of doing it, especially when one is an agent of peace”, indicated the journalist.

“The police force cannot take justice by itself. The police officers cannot take revenge”, reacted the chief of the police force, Mario Andrésol, very worried by the information circulating in the death of the police officer, Walky Calixte. “I am even more anxious that police officers can be assassinated in reprisals, because they are doing their jobs, in accordance with the law. If, in fact, the police officer was assassinated in reprisal, it would be a very serious act”, he indicated. The DG is awaiting the report from Will Dimanche, the chief of the Traffic Service on this file, to form an opinion.

“I condemn the descent to Radio Caraibe. This is not a responsible behavior even if it is understood that the police officers were under the shock emotion”, confided the Divisional police chief Will Dimanche, who stresses that “all the police officers have resumed working”.

“The judicial police will carry out an investigation to identify and submit the culprits to justice. It is necessary to remain calm and serene. Like all the police officers, the death of this police officer who was very disciplined and productive saddens me. This time, there are indices”, he revealed, without going into the details.

The driver of the deputy will be questioned.

“No one is above the law. Police officers have pointed their finger at the driver of the deputy in the homicide of the police officer, Walky Calixte; It is normal that he is brought before the Parquet court”, revealed the Minister for Justice and Public Security, Michel Brunache.

“The deputy had made steps at the Ministry of Justice and has affirmed that the weapon has been confiscated that belonged to him. We allowed the driver to leave”, explained the Minister of Justice.

On the other side, the Minister of Justice, is condemning the descent to Radio Caraibes, stating “that the police officers must show reserve and discipline in any circumstance”.

The police officer, Pierre Defasse, attached to the security detail of Senator Rodolphe Joazile, was killed by gunshots on Monday, at Delmas 3; while another was gunned down, on Rue Macajoux, that same day, according to on line news agencies.

Efforts of the newspaper to collect information from the Parquet Court were in vain.

Meanwhile, the nervousness within the PNH is palpable, because of this cascade of police officer assassinations…

ARTICLE - DEP. SEJOUR - ACCUSED IN ASSASSINATION

DEPUTY RODRIGUEZ SEJOUR IS ACCUSED OF ASSASSINATING A POLICE OFFICER
(Radio Metropole) -

Police officers assigned to Road Police Management (DPR), ordinarily very discrete, have left their reserve yesterday to express their anger following the assassination of one their brothers in arms, Calixte Walky. Rarely do police officers express on the streets their indignation, and they have denounced Deputy Rodriguez Séjour as being the intellectual author of the assassination of their colleague in Martissant.

The deputy of the 3rd district of Port-au-Prince, is a Member of the special Commission charged to analyze the file of the designated Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe.

After having set up barricades with trucks on the Delmas road, the police officers shot in the air to express their anger. They proclaimed the lifting of the immunity of Deputy Sejour, who according to them, must be apprehended for his implication in the assassination of the police officer.

The protesting police officers revealed that the deputy had uttered death threats against Calixte Walky, who had apprehended his bodyguard. The Minister of Justice released the bodyguard of the deputy, who had in his possession an illegal weapon, stated a police officer of the circulation service.

The police officers tried to apprehend the Deputy, who participated in an interview on Radio Caraibes. "He was lying", said a police officer who announced the adoption of other measures to obtain satisfaction for their claims.

This tense atmosphere occurs where President Michel Martelly is hospitalized in Miami, because of a pulmonary embolism. The director of the Traffice Police, Will Dimanche, was not present at the time of these incidents.

The assistant to the chief of circulation, Godson Jeune, attempted at a meeting to calm his officers. He accented the need to avoid any emotional reaction after this assassination.

ARTICLE - DEP. SEJOUR REJECTS ACCUSATIONS

RODRIGUEZ SEJOUR REJECTS THE ACCUSATIONS MADE AGAINST HIM
(Radio Metropole) -

Several personalities are requesting the opening of an investigation in order to bring light on the circumstances in the death of the police officer Walky Calixte in Martissant. Police officers of the Road Police Management (DPR) indicate that their colleague was killed by gangsters from Grand Ravine, who regained their bases after their actions.

They are accusing Deputy Rodriguez Sejour and his bodyguard of being involved with these characters. Deputy Sejour denies any implication in the assassination of the police officer. He ensures that as a peaceful citizen, would he mingled with such behaviors.

Colleagues of the member of Parliament also defended him the deputy. Several of them had come to show their solidarity with the elected official of the 3rd district of Port-au-Prince when he went to the radio station, Radio Caraibes.

For his part, Deputy A. Rodon Bien Aime exhorts the police and judicial authorities to open an investigation in order to shed light onto the crime. He deplores the reaction of the police officers, and says that he is worried about the future of Haitian democracy.

The police officers cannot take revenge be avenged or render justice stated Deputy Bien Aime in reaction to the intervention of police officers at the Radio Caraibe radio station. Qualifying the situation as very serious, Mr. Bien Aime exhorts the authorities to restore order.

ARTICLE - POLICEMAN KILLED - INQUEST

THE AUTHORITIES ANNOUNCE AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ASSASSINATION OF THE POLICE OFFICER, CALIXTE WALKY
(Radio Metropole) -

The authorities have announced an investigation into the assassination of the police officer Calixte Walky.

The governmental authorities, police and judiciary are determined to launch an investigation in order to make light into the assassination of the police officer Calixte Walky. The Prime Minister, Gary Conille, who has come out of a deep silence since his resignation, was constrained to intervene to bring calm. The tension, which caused a panic, pushed the Prime Minister to reaffirm his determination to assume his responsibility.

Mr. Conille revealed having the Minister of Justice to convene a special meeting of the Superior Council of the National Police Force (CSPN). The chief of the government says that he is in liaison with the managing director of the police force to establish who is responsable in this incident.

According to Mr. Conille it is important that this situation is managed in calmly and in serenity. Stressing that emotional reactions will do nothing but complicate the situation, Mr. Conille condemned the aggressions against police officers during these last weeks.

The departmental director of the West Department of of the Police force, Michel Gédéon Angel, is of the same opinion. He ensures that an investigation into the crime will be beneficial both, for the member of Parliament, and the police officers. While launching a call to calm, the highest level of the police force requests the collaboration of Deputy Sejour within the framework of this inquiry.

The investigations into the assassinations of police officers are carried out by the central management of the judicial police (DCPJ). This body of the police force functions under the supervision of the government commissioner, Jean Renel Cenatus. The chief of the Parquet Court is also determined to carry out this investigation. He indicated yesterday of having issued several arrest warrants issued against people implicated in the assassinations of police officers.