In an official memorandum dated March 23, 2026, bearing reference GQG/NO: M-007-26, the High Command of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAD’H) announced the immediate cessation, within seventy-two (72) hours, of all escort and close protection missions carried out by military personnel. These missions had until now benefited civilian authorities, former public officials, and various personalities.
This measure follows formal instructions from the new Minister of Defense, Mario Andrésol, dated March 19, 2026. It falls within a precise legal and institutional framework, aimed at ending practices deemed contrary to national defense priorities. The memorandum, signed by Major General Jonas Jean, assistant to the Commander-in-Chief, General Derby Guerrier, emphasizes that this decision responds to a requirement for rigor in the management of personnel and resources.
The stated objective is unambiguous: to refocus the Armed Forces of Haiti on their core sovereign missions, namely the defense of national territorial integrity and the protection of the population. In a context where security needs are immense and every soldier counts on the ground, this direction aims to rationalize the use of defense resources.
The assignment of military personnel to protect former and current political authorities as well as civilian figures had sparked strong criticism within the Haitian population. Many denounced the disproportionate use of national defense resources for tasks deemed non-priority, even clientelist.
This sentiment intensified particularly with the spread of well-organized and equipped armed gangs paralyzing vast areas of the country. Faced with institutional vacuum and growing insecurity, interim authorities had multiplied military assignments for their own members, senior officials, and even close associates, to the detriment of the army’s primary mission.
In the streets of the capital as on social networks, critical voices had regularly risen to denounce what they called the “privatization of the army” and the “waste of defense resources.” This decision by the High Command thus appears as a direct response to these legitimate criticisms.
According to sources close to the Ministry of Defense and the army’s general staff cited by Le Nouvelliste, exactly 81 military personnel from the Armed Forces of Haiti were assigned to provide close protection for former members of the Presidential Council, ministers, senior officials, and other figures.
The High Command’s memorandum nominally addresses several categories of beneficiaries: members of the former Transitional Presidential Council; the president and magistrates of the Court of Cassation; former and current ministers; the president and members of the Permanent Electoral Council (CEP); former and current directors general; as well as any figure currently benefiting from a military detail.
Only the Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, appears exempt from this decision, an exception that has not been explicitly justified but which could be linked to his role as head of government.
In accordance with the High Command’s decision, all close protection mission orders are declared void upon expiration of the 72-hour period following the signing of the document, i.e., March 26, 2026.
The memorandum specifies the strict implementation modalities for this measure. Military personnel engaged in escort or static guard missions must cease all service to beneficiaries at the end of the allotted period.
Unit commanders have received formal orders to personally ensure that all personnel under their command have returned to their respective barracks no later than the expiration of the 72-hour period. Major General Jonas Jean accompanied this order with an explicit threat: “Any failure or delay will be sanctioned in accordance with general discipline regulations.”
Furthermore, the General Staff will supervise the immediate and secure reintegration of weapons, ammunition, and vehicles used in these missions. This provision aims to prevent any loss or diversion of sensitive equipment.
The memorandum invites the beneficiaries of these measures to contact the Haitian National Police (PNH) to coordinate their security coverage by the competent specialized units. This provision aims to ensure continuity in the protection of these figures, while clarifying the division of roles between the army and the police, in accordance with their respective legal prerogatives.
This shift demonstrates a desire to reestablish a clear separation of missions: to the army, national defense and the protection of the population as a whole; to the police, the security of people and property, including that of high authorities, through its specialized units.
The High Command indicates that it is counting on “the sense of state and patriotism of political figures to facilitate the orderly return of the concerned military personnel.”
The announcement of this measure was received with some relief by members of the public and informed observers alike. For many, it constitutes a strong signal of the will to restore institutional discipline and refocus the armed forces on their fundamental missions. It responds to a demand for transparency, resource rationalization, and respect for the constitutional missions of the Armed Forces of Haiti. It remains to be seen whether the measure will be effectively implemented on the ground.
