Haiti govt orders ex-soldiers to clear old bases

Haiti govt orders ex-soldiers to clear old bases
Posted on Tuesday, 03.20.12
By TRENTON DANIEL
Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haitian authorities are ordering some army veterans and would-be soldiers to clear out of several old barracks they have taken over in recent weeks in hopes the disbanded army will be revived, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

The government office ordered individuals carrying illegal weapons and wearing military fatigues to leave the barracks of the Armed Forces of Haiti and other sites owned by the Haitian government. The Interior Ministry said it wouldn't tolerate gunmen disturbing the peace.

It was the strongest statement yet by the Haitian government about the former soldiers who are pressuring Haiti's President Michel Martelly to honor his campaign pledge to restore the army that was disbanded in 1995 because of its abusive past.

The campaign promise has proved controversial. Some Western governments have said money would be better spent on developing the understaffed national police department and rebuilding the country following the 2010 earthquake. Martelly has countered that the force would be a modern one that would respond to natural disasters and protect the environment.

More: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/20/2704764/haiti-govt-orders-ex-soldiers.html#storylink=cpy