HAITI: COUNCIL ENDORSES MULET'S LEADERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000441

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC KPKO HA
SUBJECT: HAITI: COUNCIL ENDORSES MULET'S LEADERSHIP


Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, per 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. During closed UNSC consultations on Haiti on
May 30, Special Representative of the Secretary-General
Edmund Mulet hailed recent GOH/MINUSTAH success in combating
gangs and securing Cite Soleil, but warned that the
international community must "stay the course" and avoid a
"premature withdrawal" to cement these gains. He pledged to
provide the Council with recommendations on strengthening
Haiti's governance, security, institution-building, and
social and economic development in the next SYG's report due
September 1, 2007. Council members, led by Ambassador Wolff,
expressed strong support for Mulet and MINUSTAH's gains on
security. They agreed the situation in Haiti remains fragile
and that the international community must remain engaged.
Several delegations emphasized the importance of justice
reform and enhanced security along Haiti's coastline. At the
end of consultations, the Council adopted a press statement
expressing support for MINUSTAH and urging increased efforts
on rule of law reform. (Note: Text of press statement
e-mailed to WHA and IO. End Note.) In a bilateral meeting
with Ambassador Khalilzad on May 30, Mulet said the UN should
remain in Haiti for at least the next four years to train at
least 14,000 Haitian National Police (HNP) officers. Mulet
appealed for a one-year extension of MINUSTAH's mandate in
October 2007 and said Chinese PermRep Wang -- who threatened
to veto MINUSTAH's mandate in February 2007 over concerns
about Haiti's relationship with Taiwan -- had displayed a
"positive and constructive" approach in a bilateral
discussion with Mulet on May 30. End Summary.

Mulet Outlines Priorities
--------------


2. (C) While hailing recent GOH/MINUSTAH success in combating
gangs and securing Cite Soleil, Mulet emphasized that it is
now crucial for the international community to "stay the
course" in Haiti by redoubling its efforts rather than
contemplating a "premature withdrawal." (Note: USUN e-mailed
Mulet's prepared remarks to WHA and IO. End Note.)
Explaining that MINUSTAH is in the midst of a progress
review, Mulet pledged to present the Council recommendations
in the SYG's next report (expected September 1, 2007) in four
areas: strengthening governance, maintaining security and
stability, reinforcing institutions of law and order, and
enhancing the social and economic fabric. Mulet noted
MINUSTAH's recent success against armed gangs -- he said over
700 gang members had been captured over the past three months
-- but he lamented the inability of Haiti's justice system to
deal with these figures once they are arrested. In
particular, he decried how gangster Tie Bazil had bribed a
judge to secure his release shortly after he was first
arrested, only to kill two people afterwards. Asked whether
MINUSTAH could assist Haiti in securing its maritime borders,
Mulet said Uruguay and Peru might be willing to lend the UN
boats it could use to patrol Haiti's lengthy and unmonitored
shores.


3. (C) Mulet also met bilaterally with Ambassadors Khalilzad
and Wolff on May 30. Asked by Ambassador Khalilzad for a
rough timeline for Haiti to assume more responsibility over
its own affairs, Mulet suggested that the UN would need to
stay for at least four more years to train at least 14,000
HNP officers to provide minimum security across the country.
The international community, however, would need to remain
committed to Haiti's reconstruction for a period of decades.
Mulet said MINUSTAH would remain engaged in the fight against
armed gangs. He expressed satisfaction that threats and
shots fired against MINUSTAH personnel had declined
significantly in the past two months as a result of
GOH/MINUSTAH anti-gang efforts in Cite Soleil. Mulet warned
that nationalistic sentiment in Haiti could rise if MINUSTAH
and the GOH fall short on their responsibility to ensure law
and order. Asked how the Council could assist his efforts,
Mulet appealed for MINUSTAH's mandate to be extended for one
year and noted that PRC PermRep Wang had been "positive and
constructive" about MINUSTAH's future during Mulet's
bilateral meeting with him on May 30. Mulet also said he
would remain with MINUSTAH for another year. In a separate
conversation May 31, the Chinese polcouns told USUN that
China fully supported MINUSTAH as long as Haiti maintained an
appropriate posture on the issue of Taiwan.

UNSC Strongly Endorses MINUSTAH Efforts
--------------


4. (C) Commending Mulet for his leadership, Ambassador Wolff
noted that the liberation of Cite Soleil from gang control is
a testament to the courage of the Haitian Government and
MINUSTAH. MINUSTAH's efforts to tackle gang violence should
serve as a model for UN peacekeeping operations worldwide.
Ambassador Wolff emphasized, however, that the recent gains

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in security are not irreversible and urged the GOH and
MINUSTAH to maintain pressure on the remnants of criminal
gangs. He underscored the importance of reform of the HNP,
the justice and corrections systems, and intensified
anti-drug trafficking efforts. Ambassador Wolff asked
whether MINUSTAH could do more to assist Haiti with its
anti-drug and border control efforts. Noting that MINUSTAH
would be expected to provide security and logistics support
for Haiti's fall 2007 senate elections, he also urged Mulet
to press the GOH to establish a Permanent Electoral Council
soon. In conclusion, Ambassador Wolff emphasized that the
depth and breadth of the challenges in Haiti mean that the
country will require long-term assistance from the UNSC,
troop contributors, and donors.


5. (C) While welcoming GOH/MINUSTAH efforts against gangs in
Cite Soleil and elsewhere, most delegations noted that the
situation in Haiti remains fragile and that the international
community must do more, not less, to support Haiti's
transition. Peru, Panama, and France joined Ambassador Wolff
in praising Mulet's leadership specifically. The same
delegations underscored the importance of justice reform and
enhanced border controls as a means to combat drug
trafficking. The Latin American and African delegations
called on the international community to do more to support
Haiti's long-term development. Indonesia and South Africa
urged MINUSTAH to intensify its support for political
dialogue and national reconciliation. China joined other
delegations in characterizing the situation in Haiti as
"fragile." While MINUSTAH should continue to combat gangs
and ensure law and order, the Chinese representative noted
that the UN should focus more on long-term development --
with Haiti assuming primary responsibility for its own
governance. In its intervention, the UK argued that MINUSTAH
should no longer implement quick impact projects (QUIPS)
funded through the UN budget, given that QUIPS are designed
only for the first two years of a PKO and MINUSTAH has now
existed for three.
KHALILZAD