SALON

Monday, May 14, 2012 10:15 PM UTC

Haiti’s wannabe soldiers say they met with leader

By

Topics: From the Wires,

Haiti's wannabe soldiers say they met with leaderA member of Haiti's dissolved army gestures after a press conference at an old army barracks on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, May 14, 2012. The leaders of the band of armed men gave a news conference to press Haiti's President Michel Martelly to honor his campaign pledge of restoring the army, which was abolished in 1995 because of its abusive record. Today Martelly marks his one year anniversary as president. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)(Credit: AP)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The leaders of a band of armed men pressing for the return of Haiti’s military met with President Michel Martelly while he was a candidate in hopes that he would bring back the army, a former sergeant said Monday.

Jean Fednel Lafalaise gave few details about the meeting, but said Martelly reassured members of the group that the army would be reinstated if he was elected president.

“This is what we are fighting for, this what we wanted,” Lafalaise told reporters at an old military base outside the capital. “This is why we asked all our families to vote for Martelly.”

Several groups of armed men have been pressing Martelly in recent months to honor his campaign pledge of restoring the army, which was abolished in 1995 because of its abusive record. They’ve pressed their case by parading around Haiti’s capital and the countryside while wearing military uniforms and sporting side arms.

The Haitian government has ordered the groups to clear out of several old army bases that they quietly took over in February but they have refused to leave.

Their paramilitary-like presence has come to embarrass Haiti as well as the country’s United Nations peacekeeping mission. The U.N. and Haitian National Police arrested two members of the group last week for carrying illegal weapons.

There has been much public speculation over who’s financing the groups, with some lawmakers accusing them of receiving money from the government. Lafalaise said they are self-supporting.

“Nobody is financing us. We finance our own self,” Lafalaise said. “We are the ones who fought to put it together.”

The armed men say they plan to organize marches throughout the country on Friday, a national holiday.

The hopeful soldiers made their case the same day that Martelly marked his first year as president.

Martelly’s government has cleared and closed several major camps for people dislocated by a killer 2010 earthquake, and has paid the school tuition for 1 million children.

But the first year of his presidency has also been marred with political infighting and dysfunction that has slowed the post-quake recovery.

Trenton Daniel

More Trenton Daniel.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments are not enabled for this story.

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations