DDR IN HAITI: EMMANUEL ARISTIDE'S LEGACY

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000240 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PKAO HA SUBJECT: DDR IN HAITI: EMMANUEL ARISTIDE'S LEGACY ¶1. Summary: The recent arrest of Disarmament, Demobilization and Re-Insertion (DDR) participant Emmanuel Aristide provoked renewed questioning of MINUSTAH's DDR strategy targeting armed gang members in the violent slums of Port-au-Prince. Without some kind of peace accord or an amnesty agreement with the Haitian National Police (HNP),MINUSTAH cannot guarantee that its participants will not be arrested after entering the program. DDR Chief Desmond Molloy hopes that the February 7 elections will open a political window of reconciliation in Haiti, but adds that the hard-line criminals remain untouchable due to their financial success in the 'informal sector.' End Summary. ¶2. According to DDR Chief Desmond Molloy, Emmanuel Aristide was admitted into the program because his name was mistakenly omitted from the HNP's Most Wanted, list. MINUSTAH had deemed anybody not on the list eligible for the program. (His name did appear on a later HNP list but only after Aristide had entered the program.) The HNP arrested Aristide in January on charges of murder, kidnapping, and arson. He was one of 14 gang-members (and 10 weapons) negotiated into the program by Lavalas Bel Air gang-leader Samba Boukmam. (Note: DDR is currently working with the 13 remaining Bel Air gang members, 18 gang members from lower Delmas, and 16 former military (ex-Fad'H) from the Central Plateau. In negotiations for these participants, MINUSTAH recovered 30 weapons. End note.) ¶3. Comment: The case reinforced the perception of activists in the slums that without some kind of peace accord or an amnesty agreement, by volunteering for the DDR program, one simultaneously identifies him/herself as 'wanted' by the HNP. Also, DDR participants fear retaliation from their former gang members. Upon arrival in Haiti in October 2004, Molloy envisioned a program encompassing 10,000 DDR participants. He said he lowered his expectations to a hopeful 2000 by June 2006, but would be happy with 500. ¶4. Comment continued: Molloy hopes that the election next week will open a political window of reconciliation for the DDR program in Haiti. He would also like to see political leaders encourage gang members and the ex-Fad,H to participate in DDR. However, even with positive changes in the security environment and political space, for DDR, the hard-line gang leaders remain untouchable. According to Molloy, &They are making too much money and would never join our side.8 &They will need the stick,8 he added, &for the rest we will continue with the carrot.8 CARNEY