The main Police Station of the city of Ouanaminthe now has new premises, this rehabilitation project was funded up to $4.2 million by the Canadian Government through the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START). Henry Paul Normandin, Ambassador of Canada to Haiti declared at the inauguration that "the ability of police to enforce the rule of law within a country, particularly in its border areas, are critical elements of security and stability," stressing that "the projet of rehabilitation of police stations along the border Haitian-Dominicans, including the main police station, here in Ouanaminthe, comes in support to the strengthening of institutional and operational capacity of the Haitian state in the border areas of the country. This project is added to several other projects funded by Canadan the country over the past two years."

The Police Station of Ouanaminthe is now housed in the former barracks of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) freshly renovated. The objective of START in this project is to allow to the Haitian government, particularly the National Police of Haiti (PNH), to increase its presence in the border area. 18 police stations, mostly located within 15km of the border have been built or rehabilitated and have received furniture through this project.

Rony Pierre, the Mayor of Ouanaminthe has for his part welcomed the rehabilitation while arguing for an increase of the number of police in his town, to ensure a better security in the border area "Having new premises, so beautiful and spacious, without enough policemen, is not enough" he declared.

HL/ HaitiLibre