UPDATE ON CITE SOLEIL OPERATION

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000297 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/CAR DRL S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA) TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV MARR MOPS KCRM ASEC UNSC HA SUBJECT: UPDATE ON CITE SOLEIL OPERATION REF: PAP 283 ¶1. This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) MINUSTAH's deputy chief of the political department, Elizabeth Cullity (strictly protect),provided Polcouns the following details regarding MINUSTAH's operation in the Boston area of Cite Soleil (reftel) on the afternoon of February 12. Force Commander dos Santos Cruz reports that no shots have been fired at MINUSTAH troops in Boston since Friday, February 9, when the operation began. According to dos Santos Cruz, MINUSTAH troops are patrolling on foot, local residents are pleased with their presence, and MINUSTAH has broken the organization of gang leader Evans Jeune. Roughly 60 participants in MINUSTAH's disarmament program (DDR) who are now involved in vocational training asked MINUSTAH officials over the weekend to shelter them at the DDR orientation center in order to avoid having to fight MINUSTAH on Evan's behalf. MINUSTAH troops have seized from Evans' compound over 5,700 rounds of ammunition, a Galil automatic rifle, and documents and photo albums that will further help identify key gang members and serve as evidence in criminal trials. MINUSTAH believes that Evans is still in the Boston vicinity and that their quarantine has cut off his escape. ¶2. (SBU) Cullity reported that gang leaders Belony Pierre, Amaral Duclonat, and Evans on Saturday, February 10, offered to surrender weapons in exchange for a truce. A Haitian connected to the National Commission on Disarmament viewed the weapons on offer the same day and reported that Belony was forthcoming, but that Amaral and Evans had assembled a worthless stockpile. In any event, Cullity said that the GoH decided firmly against further negotiations with gang leaders; operations would end when gang leaders were in custody. ¶3. (SBU) MINUSTAH and Haitian police forces also mounted a successful operation over the weekend of February 10-11, in the gang-ridden neighborhood of Martissant, arresting 23 members of the "Little Machete Army" (Lame Ti Machet),six of whom MINUSTAH believes are top gang leaders. ¶4. (SBU) Comment. Cullity was enthused about the weekend's developments: though Evans remained at large, his capture seems imminent; the operations in Martissant demonstrated MINUSTAH could execute multiple operations. MINUSTAH, she judged, had taken key steps in restoring order to Port-au-Prince. End Comment. SANDERSON