Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08PORTAUPRINCE161
2008-02-01 15:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Port Au Prince
Cable title:  

HAITI MONTHLY: JANUARY 2008

Tags:  HA PGOV PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN KTEX 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 011547Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7602
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1777
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 1585
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO PRIORITY 0734
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC PRIORITY 1008
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1414
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000161 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR
S/CRS
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN AND ANGELIC YOUNG
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: HA PGOV PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN KTEX
SUBJECT: HAITI MONTHLY: JANUARY 2008

PORT AU PR 00000161 001.2 OF 002


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000161

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR
S/CRS
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN AND ANGELIC YOUNG
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: HA PGOV PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN KTEX
SUBJECT: HAITI MONTHLY: JANUARY 2008

PORT AU PR 00000161 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified -- please
protect accordingly.


2. (U) Summary: This is a monthly report on various topics of
interest which do not merit a full reporting cable.


3. (U) STUDENT PROTESTS
In mid- to late January, students barricaded themselves in
the Haitian State University Faculty of Agronomy building,
demanding the government place them in an agronomy program.
One of the slogans of the sit-in was "Up with national
production, down with imports." The Ministry of Agriculture
entered into negotiations with students, and reached
tentative agreement the week of January 28 that the
university would modify parts of the curriculum.


4. (U) HAITI'S NUMBER 2 CARNIVAL: BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER
Emboffs attended the annual Carnival celebration in the
southern city of Jacmel, known for its hours-long parade of
colorful, creative, and at times politically charged paper
mache masks. Jacmel holds its Carnival a week before
Carnival in Port au Prince. Minister of Culture and
Communication Eddy Lubin, whose predecessor resigned
following accusations of misappropriation of Carnival funds,
observed the entire parade from his VIP viewing stand.
Several Embassy officers were in attendance, and noticed a
strong police presence and no incidents of public disorder.
Jacmel received the second largest allocation (after
Port-au-Prince) from the Ministry's USD 2.2 million allocated
for Carnival 2008. Jacmel Chamber of Commerce President
Franz Large commented to Poloff that he was very proud of the
city's 2008 Carnival, particularly noting high security and
the renowned Jacmelien hospitality. City leaders,
desperately seeking to increase tourism to the city, hope the
successful Carnival will bring an increase in overall
tourism, according to Large. Several revelers noted that the
Carnival was better attended, and with more creative masks,
than 2007.


5. (U) MINUSTAH OUTLINES BORDER CONTROL EFFORTS
MINUSTAH announced January 7 that it would initially focus
border control efforts on the land crossings at Ouanaminthe,
Belladere, Malpasse, and Anse-a-Pitres. MINUSTAH plans to
station a platoon of approximately 40 to 50 soldiers at each
of these crossings. MINUSTAH also intends to place a
contingent of six United Nations police officers at each
crossing. After securing these land crossings, MINUSTAH
would focus efforts on port control and later establish a
maritime component.


6. (SBU) BUT PEOPLE MUST TRAVEL
Radio Metropole reported January 16 that despite the presence
of Dominican and MINUSTAH forces on the Haitian-Dominican
Republic land border, the border remains as porous as before
their deployment. (Comment: Embassy assesses this is
probably the case; more time will be needed for increased
MINUSTAH and Haitian National Police efforts to police the
border to have any effect. End comment.) Meanwhile,
reverberations continue in Haiti over the Dominican Republic
government's increased repatriation of illegal Haitian
migrants.


7. (U) CHICKEN, EGGS, AND BANANAS
Haiti continues to focus on perceived and anticipated
retaliation by Dominican producers against the GoH' ban on
Dominican chicken and egg imports due tothe discovery of the
H5N2 avian flu virus. Loca press report a threat by
Dominican poultry and gg vendors to halt exports of all
foodstuffs to Hiti if Haitian authorities do not lift the
impor ban. Separately, a major Haitian newspaper noted
January 22 that the Dominican Republic has effecively
stopped exporting bananas to Haiti after Topical Storm Noel
reportedly damaged many Dominican banana plantations. Since
Haiti does not produce enough bananas to meet domestic
demand, the price of bananas in Haiti has doubled.


8. (U) PROTESTS AGAINST INFLATION

PORT AU PR 00000161 002.2 OF 002


A group numbering at least 500, reportedly from Cite Soleil,
demonstrated peacefully January 25 in front of the parliament
building against the rising cost of living - an issue that is
becoming a focus of anti-government sentiment. Radio Kiskeya
reported January 23 that popular organizations affiliated
with the Lavalas political party plan demonstrations against
the GoH immediately after Carnival. Several such groups
appeared on TNH television news in mid-January declaring
their intention to mount large demonstrations.


9. (U) NEW SOCIALIST PARTY FORMS
Louis Antoine Henry announced January 28 the formation of a
new political party, the Haitian Socialist Movement of the
21st Century (MOSOHA). In a televised ceremony, Henry
claimed his party, which advocates a more equitable
distribution of resources, had 30,000 members and would field
candidates in the upcoming senatorial elections. (Comment:
Though new and small parties are ubiquitous in Haiti, it
remains unclear that MOSOHA has the capacity to field
candidates in the upcoming elections, and who, if anyone, is
bankrolling the party. End comment.)


10. (SBU) COMMISSION ON SECURITY TO CONSIDER SEVERAL
ALTERNATIVES
The Presidential Commission for Reflection on the
Reinforcement of Security, headed by Patrick Elie, announced
January 29 that its recommendations to reinforce security in
Haiti will rely on consultations with all GoH institutions
that have a role in security, on suggestions from private
citizens, and on models from other countries such as Panama.
A previous commission on the same subject presented a single
recommendation -- that the GoH reconstitute the Haitian Army.
President Preval requested that the new commission take "a
step back" and present him with multiple options, according
to commission member and historian Georges Michel. Elie
announced that the commission is proposing two options: a
border protection or public security force composed either of
professionals or individuals in "military service." The
latter would be capable of protecting Haitians from both
internal and external conflicts, thereby eliminating the need
for international intervention. The Commission's press
release noted that the Commission would soon release a
preliminary report and a definitive report within a year.
This issue "army or no army" for Haiti is not moving forward
quickly, probably the design of President Preval.


11. (SBU) GRAFFITI WARS
Pro- and anti-Aristide graffiti is appearing in the upscale
Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Pacot and areas near Prime
Minister Alexis's office and residence. In Pacot, the
graffiti is pro-Aristide (typically "King Aristide" or "Live
Aristide") whereas in the vicinity of the PM's office, the
graffiti is anti-GoH (variations of "Down with Alexis"). In
Pacot, unknown persons whitewash the graffiti, while in areas
near the Primature, Alexis supporters simply scrawl over the
offending messages. Graffiti also has reappeared on the
white walls of the parliament building, which were only
recently painted in preparation for the January 14 opening of
the new legislative session. Graffiti denouncing Chief
Prosecutor Claudy Gassant has begun to appear. (Comment:
Though political graffiti is commonplace in Port-au-Prince,
the quantity and diversity of targets appear to be on the
rise, perhaps signaling growing disenchantment with the GoH's
performance. End comment.)
SANDERSON