In an interview granted to the Associated Press on October 24, the Special Representative of the Minustah, Mr. Mariano Fernández, asked about the question whether, in the case where Haiti will restores a security force, the Minustah could support the latter, he explained that the current mandate of the Minustah did not include the cooperation between the Minustah and an army.

Mr. Fernandez has also repeatedly, insisted that the creation of a security force or the restoration of the army in Haiti fall under a sovereign decision of Haiti.

Following this interview, Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg, spokesperson of the Minustah wished to clarify "...Haiti is a sovereign state and has absolutely and fully the right to recover a security force, it's a decision of the Haitian state, by the way the Special Representative, Mr. Fernández has clearly stated several times, we do not have to comment on this issue and he did not discussed of it with the President. He has explained to the media several times, that he comment the issue of support of the Minustah to the army, when he will have spoken of this issue, with the Haitian authorities and the President in particular [...]

The Special Representative said that if the Haitian government requested support to the Minustah, regarding the support for the training of the army, the support for the establishment of a security force, most likely it will be necessary that the Security Council intervene and adjust the mandate of the Mission, because for now, [...] if you read the resolution that established the mandate of the Mission, it has no support to an armed force, since there is no military force at this time in the country.

The mandate speaks of support of the Minustah to the police, state institutions, capacity building in the area of ​​rule of law and a bunch of other things, but does not mention the support to a formation of a security force [...] the question cannot be asked at the moment, because the security force does not exist.

The Haitian government has not formally made request to the UN in this sense, then, as said the Special Representative, let us not hypothetical, the question will be considered when the request will be made officially by the Haitian authorities to the UN. For now, we are at the level of reflections, discussions who are made, firstly, internally. For now, we do not have to comment on this issue which is a sovereign issue."

The presidential decree concerning the remobilization of the armed forces of Haiti, could be published before Novemeber 18, 2011, ccording to the statements made by Me Thierry Mayard Paul, the Minister of Interior, of Territorial Collectivities and National Defense, during the ceremony of his installation.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-4079-haiti-security-the-president-martelly-ready-to-launch-the-new-national-force.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-4031-haiti-security-martelly-determined-to-go-ahead-with-his-army-project.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3973-haiti-security-it-s-their-opinion-said-martelly.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3965-haiti-politic-us-government-does-not-seem-in-favor-of-an-army.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3905-haiti-politic-the-project-of-a-security-force-divides-the-political-actors.html

HL/ HaitiLibre