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PORT-AU-PRINCE, (Haiti Wire) – Haiti’s Defense Minister, Jean-Marc Bertier Antoine, has unveiled an ambitious plan to expand the country’s military by recruiting and training 20,000 new soldiers over the next five years. The initiative, announced following a meeting with the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) in Washington, is part of the government’s strategy to strengthen the Haitian Armed Forces (FAD’H) amid ongoing gang violence and national security challenges.
Antoine’s plan calls for training 4,000 recruits annually, with the goal of creating a modern, professional military force capable of supporting national police efforts to restore order. The minister emphasized that the current security situation—marked by widespread gang control in parts of Port-au-Prince and other regions—requires a more robust military presence.
The expansion effort will be coordinated through a proposed ad hoc commission, bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the IADB, and international partners, including the Organization of American States (OAS). The commission will oversee the training and deployment of the new recruits, ensuring they are equipped to handle both traditional defense tasks and internal security operations.
Haiti’s plan to grow its military also includes a focus on modernizing equipment and infrastructure, with training in crisis management, counterterrorism, and maintaining security in conflict zones. Despite international assistance from the recently deployed multinational security mission led by Kenya, the government sees the expansion of the FAD’H as crucial to long-term stability.
