Less guns, more peace in Haiti

INTERVIEW / Alix Fils-Aimé

“People will not return guns voluntarily if we do not offer them lives that have more dignity,” said Alix Fils-Aimé, president of Haiti’s National Commission for National Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration (CNDDR).

In an exclusive interview to Comunidad Segura, Fils-Aimé discussed the demobilization of armed groups in Port-au-Prince and comments on the partnership between locals and the Minustah, the UN stabilization mission present in Haiti under the leadership of Brazilian general Alberto dos Santos Cruz.

What can we learn from the work of the CNDDR in Haiti?

When Aristide left in 2004, we found ourselves living through chaos. Some groups were armed directly by the State. It was thanks to the International Force that we were able to gradually restore peace. The first step was to elect a legitimate government. We subsequently encouraged armed groups to return guns and suspend criminal activities.

In our experience, we deal with two opposing groups: the army and the militias. We had a peace accord signed, and began work on the reintegration of those implicated. Our situation is characterized by political conflicts, the social relations in which the exploitation of the poor by politicians created a new form of banditry. We try to adapt the concept of DDR to the peculiarities of our situation.

How did the process unfold?

Some members of these groups turned in their weapons. Others did not. We were forced to carry out police and military operations to dismantle their operations bases. We also have, at the same time, another strategy, which is to transform conditions under which the population lives. Next week, for example, the government will launch a series of interventions into the social infrastructure of Cité Soleil (a low income neighborhood in the downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital) with joint activities, work groups created by members of the government and international DDR. The goal is to transform the living conditions of those who chose armed violence and offer them a possibility to reintegrate to society. These people will not turn in their guns voluntarily unless we offer them the possibility of living a life of greater dignity.

And how does this re-integration come about?

The Haitian state does not have the necessary economic means to create jobs. The private sector, on the other hand, has been victimized by kidnappings, armed aggressions and had their businesses ruined. It is hard for them to accept employing people who were formerly members of armed gangs, even if they have some training or a profession.

We were forced then, to think up a way to help these people start their own businesses once they had undergone some training, and offering them credit to enable them to purchase their own equipment and installations, to help them on their way to becoming businessmen. This will allow for a gradual acceptance, a re-integration to society. We also have specific programs targeting the women who are involved with formerly armed gang members. The women will be involved with training centers and micro-credit so that they emancipate themselves from the world of crime. By transforming living conditions, we promote a global re-integration of this sector into the community.

What is the current stage of the program?

To our knowledge there are still dispersed criminals who have no intention of returning their guns. They are people who have taken a decision with respect to the process and who must answer directly to the police or to justice. It is important to note that we received a great deal of support from the Minustah, who dismantled their operational headquarters – first in Cité Soleil, and soon after in Gonaives. Over 400 implicated all over the nation joined the reintegration program. And we will certainly have other participants coming in from the Martissant shanty town. However, there are still a number of armed individuals scattered across the nation.

Can we be optimistic about the nation's future? Is there any possibility of a new wave of conflicts?

A year ago we reached political stability as a nation, and a better functioning of the institutions. There are no great conflicts. Misunderstandings between the executive power and the parliament are signs of democracy and are resolved through dialogue, not through cannon balls or defamations.

We also reached macroeconomic stability and stability with respects to security. There is no place in all the territory where anyone feels in the entitled to call himself a self-styled commander. The offensives of the security forces continue taking place in isolated locations, where criminals get together to start operations.

At this point we need to make the economy more dynamic, but we have a series of internal problems facing us, such as corruption. Problems that favor criminality. As things stand, youths have no hope. And while these problems are not faced, we will always be forced to contain criminality. It would be better if we could resort to policing based on prevention rather than repression, and if we could use social agreements, conflict and security management. With this in mind we created community security forums in the main cities of the nation. They will be partners of town hall, the police, the CNDDR and the population, as represented by all the sectors, including the private sector.

Are there any cases in which the population is forced to pay for security?

That no longer is the case. Although in Cité Soleil there are elements that continue to pay criminals, who supposedly are working as security agents. But they do not understand that these criminals no longer have any operational capacity. The population is no longer afraid of these people.

The fact Samba Boukman was named a Commissioner of the CNDDR was strongly criticized from some sectors of society. How do you see it?

There are those who questioned the presence of Samba Boukman in the Commission allegedly for taking part in violent acts in the neighborhood. But no sufficient proof was ever brought forth against him.

Why chose him?

President Preval chose him to enable communication between local organizations and to encourage non-violence. Samba Boukman is respected among Haitians. He is a good role model, because he chose the path of peace. Actually, the commission was successful in consolidating peace in Bel Air, thanks to the work of the Brazilian NGO Viva Rio.

How does the partnership work with Viva Rio?

The work with Viva Rio is a model for the entire nation, we work very closely together and share a common desire for peace. We use conflict management, dialogue through community facilitators and at the same time provide incentives for the community, such as scholarships for local children and for Rara musicians. For now it is the CNDDR, along with the aid of Viva Rio that manages peace in Bel Air. We want this to be a model for the nation, to be strengthened through security forums. We want to become a part of the police forces and municipal administrations and institutionalize its participation in conflict management.

Could you point out a successful example of the CNDDR program?

The new CNDDR was inaugurated September of 2006 and had good results in Bel Air. It successfully united the efforts of the Minustah, the police, and other institutions.

The old commission did not have the same goals and neither did it enjoy good relations with the Minustah. It was a politicized commission, and believed that precisely the people who make up the target public of the mobilization as enemies. We, to the contrary, work with the mayors and are not interested in political affiliations. We have already taken guns from the hands of armed groups, from former army men, from common criminals and from the private sector, even if it is more resistant to turning in firearms. We are gradually talking control of the situation and through a socially minded approach. We are faced with a number of social and economic problems that have emerged precisely because of the fact the people afflicted with social and economic problems have entered into criminal activities and the drug trade.

Would you make any criticism to the efforts thus far?

I refuse to see the issue as one that is related to the conjuncture, to dissociate this issue from a strategic need to modernize the nation. If we do not take this to heart, we will be locked into this negative cycle and I will have an entire career ahead of me in disarmament. That is not my intention, I want to move on into other things six months from now. I would like to conclude my mission and work to protect the environment, to work with the production of jojoba, Palma Christi, etc. Development is the best way to combat insecurity, and provide real options for youths, so that they feel they are being guided and so they have hopes for their futures.

Read Further:

Haiti: A nation under reconstruction

Translated by Lis Horta Moriconi