In the security emergency that is imposed, Haitian political decision-makers often neglect priorities in order to opt pour cosmetic solutions that mask reality. The situation of Haitian soldiers entrenched in the Gressier military base, not asked to lend a hand to the police in difficulty against the armed gangs that are murdering the civilian population, calls for questioning the real motivation of the leaders to put an end to insecurity
We only have to go back in time, to the times of crazy crowds during the enlistment sessions in the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H) in 2019 to realize that there was a military presence, albeit embryonic, in the commune.
In La Ferronay, the FAd’H military base remains unresponsive despite the episodes of armed violence recorded in Gressier. One of the interim executive agents questioned about the non-involvement of Haitian soldiers in the fight against insecurity prefers to avoid addressing the subject. For him, this amorphous institution exists only in name. It is inconceivable that Haitian soldiers helplessly assist the dictatorship of criminal gangs, the massacre against the civilian population.
A FAd’H officer, under cover of anonymity, denies any responsibility of the FAd’H in the demonstration of the bandits of “Viv ansanm” and the deterioration of the security climate in Gressier. It is up to the Executive, in accordance with the Constitution, to requisition the FAd’H to support the PNH in the anti-gang fight.
At this stage, the Haitian military remains in its defensive position, comments a high-ranking Army officer. The site used for training the military has an acceptable number of personnel that can support the police in routing the bandits, the source confides.
However, she refuses to concede that the military shares responsibility for the failure of law enforcement to quell criminal groups and restore security to Gressier.
Meanwhile, Kenyan police officers are busy patrolling areas not exposed to gang violence. Neighborhoods controlled by the gang leaders remain exempt from intervention by Kenyan forces.
Such scenarios exasperate observers who call on the transitional authorities to put an end to the politics of spectacle and demagogy.
Herve Noel
[email protected]
Similar articles
