Wednesday, August 19, 2026, Grégoire Varenne, Chargé d'Affaires of France in Haiti, spoke with Mario Andrésol, the Minister of Defense, about strengthening military cooperation between Haiti and France.

During these exchanges which lasted almost an hour, the two officials notably took stock of the training program for Haitian soldiers implemented within the framework of the memorandum of understanding concluded between the two countries. The Chargé d’Affaires highlighted the efforts already made in this area, in particular the training of 7 contingents of soldiers in Martinique between 2024 and 2026.

The discussions also focused on the needs of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) in terms of equipment and materials adapted to the operational realities of the country. Several categories of equipment likely to meet these needs have been identified.

As part of the strengthening and professionalization of the FAd'H, Minister Andrésol announced the objective of training 15,000 soldiers over the next five years, in accordance with the vision of development and consolidation of the institution's capacities.

Higher training and development of military executives also occupied an important place in the exchanges. The two parties notably discussed the possibilities of granting scholarships to Haitian officers, in order to allow them to access high-level specialized training.

In this regard, officers called upon to assume higher responsibilities, particularly at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, could benefit from different development courses, including specialized programs in military education as well as training in the field of strategy and the defense industry.

In this perspective, the Minister expressed the wish to be able to send certain FAd’H executives to follow the Master 2 "Industrial strategies and public defense policies" (SIPPD). This program is integrated into the curriculum of the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, in partnership with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, through the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).

HL/ HaitiLibre