OPPORTUNITY AND STABILITY IN CAP HAITIEN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001314

SIPDIS

SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM PINR EAID HA
SUBJECT: OPPORTUNITY AND STABILITY IN CAP HAITIEN


1. Summary. Ambassador Foley visited Cap Haitien on April
20-21 to meet with political, religious and economic leaders,
as well as U.S. citizens in the region. Optimism prevailed
on security; Cap Haitien is stable and has seen no political
violence in recent months. Chilean MINUSTAH forces deployed
in Cap Haitien have good control of the city and excellent
relations with local police. The Ambassador saw firsthand
the extent to which the Haitian political system is set up to
neglect provincial needs while concentrating wealth and power
in Port-au-Prince. While funds and equipment for road
projects, infrastructure improvements and elections are
slowly being dispersed in the capital, little to no impact is
being felt in Cap Haitien. Similarly, Cap Haitien's leaders
are worried about the state of the Haitian National Police,
who are underequipped and small in numbers. Because security
is not as grave a concern in Cap Haitien, opportunities for
investment appear more promising there. End Summary.


2. On April 20, the Ambassador traveled from
Port-de-Paix to Cap Haitien, where he was met by a
disproportionately large delegation consisting of IGOH
officials, UN CivPol HNP, UN civil affairs, and Chilean
soldiers. Delegue Wilbert Joseph accompanied the Ambassador
to the town of Milot, where he provided a guided tour of the
ruins of the Palace of Sans Souci and the Citadel La
Ferriere, two of Haiti's most impressive national monuments.
Joseph was the first of many to request the establishment of
an Embassy presence in Cap Haitien, either in the form of a
Consular Agent, an Honorary Consul, an American institute or
some regular and frequent visitation by an officer from the
Embassy. The sentiment of those in Cap is that Embassy
interest in the region would compel GOH interest as well.
(Note: In fact, the Embassy is a frequent visitor to Haiti's
second city).


3. In Milot, the Ambassador visited Radio Kayimit, one of
many Haitian community radio stations that receive
programming and equipment through USAID's community radio
network. What seemed to be every last resident of Milot was
assembled around the station to hear the live broadcast of
the interview, in which the Ambassador spoke about the need
to seek unity and move towards elections peacefully. Public
Diplomacy then made copies of the interview for distribution
throughout the community radio network. (Comment: Milot's
previous mayor, Moise Jean-Charles, is reportedly still
politically active in the region. A firebrand Lavalas
supporter, his protesting led to the cancellation of the
massive "Sailing into History" cruise last summer. While the
situation in Milot and Cap Haitien appeared calm and stable,
Jean-Charles casts a long shadow, and his name was on the tip
of many tongues when describing security in the region. On
April 25, Jean-Charles made his own radio address criticizing
the Ambassador for claiming Aristide was part of the past at
a press conference on April 21, and Lavalas also organized a
demonstration in Cap Haitien on May 9, announcing that they
will continue to call for the ousted president's return.)


4. Throughout the visit in Cap Haitien, the strong
performance and professionalism of the Chilean forces and
CivPol contingent were evident. Chilean Commander Tulio
Rojas provided an excellent briefing, which outlined not only
the MINUSTAH and HNP footprint in the North but also the
presence of several armed bands operating in small towns
outside Cap Haitien (septel). While Rojas did not view these
bands as a threat to stability, he said that MINUSTAH
nevertheless plans to bring them in or force them to disarm.
Though likely motivated more by power or hunger than
politics, he described these bands as "chimeres". He said
that MINUSTAH had control of Cap Haitien and that no threat
existed of a reemergence of armed extra-governmental forces
in the city.


5. According to Rojas, no "no go" zones existed in the
city, though some neighborhoods were more volatile than
others, and many neighborhoods were controlled by bosses who
had not yet welcomed MINUSTAH on their own turf. MINUSTAH
Head of Regional Office Javier Hernandez affirmed that
Lavalas partisans felt they could safely march and organize
because of the UN presence. At the same time, some Lavalas
leaders were still demanding the physical return of Aristide,
the disarmament of ex-military, the release of all political
prisoners, reparations to harmed Lavalas partisans and the
punishment of human rights violators. Rojas knew of no
powerful political parties other than Lavalas in Cap.


6. Similar to Port-de-Paix, Cap's leaders were concerned
about the underequipped Haitian National Police. UN CivPol
estimated that the HNP in the Northern department had one
weapon for every three officers, with even fewer bullets.
Morale in the HNP was low, their exposure to danger was high,
and the public had little faith in them at present.


7. The Interim Mayor of Cap Haitien, Aspil Fleurant, a
banker by trade, said he was fed up with public service and
longed to return to private life. His main preoccupation was
with the state of the HNP and the infrastructure in Cap. He
and Ralph Dominique, the HNP Director for the Northern
Department, both reiterated the need for a "minimum amount of
resources" - vehicles, bullet-proof vests, uniforms (but
notably not weapons).


8. Echoing his counterparts in Port-de-Paix, Fleurant
stated that he feels the provinces are forgotten and
neglected by the capital. If he had a grader, a front-end
loader, a trash truck and a backhoe, he could greatly improve
conditions in the city. He noted that American Airlines has
already agreed to begin flying to Cap once the airstrip is
lengthened and rehabilitated, but no money was forthcoming
from Port-au-Prince for that project. The Ambassador
promised to follow up on that with the IGOH. Fleurant also
noted what he called a great indifference to improving life
in Cap on the part of its citizenry, for which he could offer
no explanation, other than to say that Haiti has not yet
restored the authority of the State.

Business Leaders See Opportunity, Peace In Cap --


9. In a dinner with the Ambassador, business leaders said
that the drug trade in Cap Haitien has decreased. Nick
Bussenius, Amcit warden and hotel owner, said that he noticed
fewer traffickers moving through Cap Haitien. Natacha
Barrella, a travel agent, said that her business was down
because the wives of drug traffickers are traveling less.
However, the group agreed that the drug trade remained strong
and that traffickers made little effort to hide their
activities. Both the Chilean and CivPol commanders stated
that their forces receive frigid and inhospitable reactions
from workers in the port when they conduct operations there.


10. The group repeatedly returned to the theme that Cap
Haitien has great development potential, but is largely
ignored by the central government. As such, they were
focused more on local than national elections. However, the
business community in Cap Haitien planned to support a
candidate in the second round of the national elections.
They also agreed that Cap Haitien was significantly more
secure than Port-au-Prince. All of them expressed reluctance
to visit Port-au-Prince, saying that when they have to go
they make their visits as short as possible. They also
voiced frustration with the international community's posture
towards Haiti, which fixated on insecurity in Port-au-Prince
while ignoring stability in Cap, thereby discouraging
investment outside the capital.


11. In this vein, they requested a stronger Embassy
presence in Cap Haitien. Ultimately, they would like to see
a return to permanent US representation there, but they were
willing to settle for a regularly scheduled visit from the
Embassy. They also requested that the Ambassador push the
EU, Taiwan, and IDB on roads projects planned for the north
but not yet underway, as well as the IGOH on the long-planned
airport development project that has seen no action.


12. COMMENT. The same themes appeared throughout
Ambassador Foley's visits to Cap Haitien and Port-de-Paix
(septel). The central government and the international
community ignore the provinces. The HNP has no equipment,
while narcotraffickers are operating with impunity in the
Northern claw. Due to the deteriorating infrastructure, the
most convenient commercial option is smuggling and contraband
from the United States and the Dominican Republic.
Ironically, neglect from the capital appears not necessarily
to be such a bad thing. The Northern coast is lush and green
in many places, and appears to enjoy a better quality of life
among its poorest citizens than the poor in Port-au-Prince.
Cap Haitien is closer to the United States, the free trade
zone in Ouanaminthe (septel) and the central plateau (Haiti's
breadbasket) than Port-au-Prince. That, coupled with its
relative distance from the power-dominated and violent
politics of Port-au-Prince, would seem to make it an ideal
target for growth and investment. Post will explore options
on establishing a more regular presence in the region, as
well as follow up on the various road and infrastructure
projects which are currently still inactive. END COMMENT.
GRIFFITHS