Haiti: Plans to recruit for army

(07.10.2017) Haiti has started recruiting for its newly reestablished army. The Defense Minister Herve Denis said they plan to recruit 500 soldiers as part of the first recruitment drive, but they might need to reduce this number due to budgetary problems. He said the duties of the soldiers will be rebuilding after natural disasters and monitoring borders for smuggled contraband.

On the other hand, critics questioned the need for such a force in the country, which has long been suffering from the impacts of poverty, as well as having a history of military coups.

Mario Joseph, a human rights attorney and one of the lawyers of the former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide said "Haiti does not need an army... We must use what little money Haiti has rationally... Haiti cannot even take care of the police with the national budget."

Haiti's army was disbanded by the former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1995 following a military coup.

War Resisters‘ International: Haiti: Plans to recruit for army. 7. October 2017. Source: Reuters, Haiti plans recruitment for small army: defense minister , 5 July 2017; Miami Herhald, Haiti opens army recruitment , 17 July 2017.

Keywords:    ⇒ Haiti   ⇒ Military   ⇒ Recruitment