military

Here is a picture of Lt. Gen. Henri Namphy and Gen. Williams Regala 1988

When he went before the Haitian people to announce that he has seized power from the civilian President Leslie Manigat, there was no outpouring of admiration and support. Although he used to enjoy the reputation of being honest, his administration was rather known as "Duvalierism without Duvalier". His close acquaintances used to know him as a dedicated military man and "a great party-goer". His house always had parties, all the time and his friends were his life.

General Namphy had presided over one of the bloodiest and most chaotic periods in the recent Haitian history. The U.S government found that it was difficult to deal with General Namphy because he had failed in his every promise to restore democracy-- his attempt to hold election was better known as "debacle". He served his second term as the President from June 20, 1988 until his deposition on September 17, 1988 in a coup d'état.

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Here is the Emperor of Haiti, Faustin Soulouque as Faustin I. A former career officer and general in the Haitian Army, was proclaimed Emperor of Haiti under the name Faustin I.

Once Soulouque had conquered the Boyerists he decreed himself Emperor Faustin I with Parliament's approval. In office, he adopted an attitude of suspicion toward Black leaders he thought were conspiring against him.

Faustin's foreign policy was to protect Haiti and Santo Domingo from foreign interference. He tried without success to annex Santo Domingo to unify the island of Hispaniola. Defeated after his final attempt he came back to Port-au-Prince. He was losing power, with no progress being made in Haiti, and his reputation as a merciless dictator furthered his decline.

In 1858 Fabre Geffrard managed a coup d'etat and became president. Faustin went into exile in Kingston, Jamaica where it was widely reported he died. But Haitian historian MacLeod writes Faustin actually died in Petit-Goâve.

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Here is a picture of President Fabre-Nicolas Geffrard. He was a mulatto general in the Haitian army and President of Haiti from 1859 until his deposition in 1867

Fabre Geffrard, born September 19, 1806, ruled as president of the Republic of Haiti from 1859â€'1867. His first act in office was to resurrect the Constitution of 1846 thereby making him president for life. Prior to assuming the presidency he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Army during Emperor Faustin I Soulouque's reign.

Using his powerful position as a stepping stone, he forced the abdication of Soulouque when Geffrard moved to establish the Republic of Haiti in Gonaïves. The country rallied behind him and Faustin I surrendered the presidency to Geffrard when he realized he had lost the support of the populace.

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Here is a picture of former Haitian military officer, Lt. Col. Jean-Claude Paul

Another of Haiti's protectors who led less than a blameless life was military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jean-Claude Paul. Among his questionable acts was his part, inconspicuous though it was, in the coup against former President Leslie Manigat, his alleged attack against street protesters during election time in the summer of "87, in which over 30 people were killed, and the accusations of drug trafficking against him, the last of which earned him an indictment in a Miami court for cocaine trafficking on march 10, 1988. As with most of his kind, Paul evaded punishment when he died in his suburban home in Haiti on November 7, 1988.

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Former Haitian President and military officer Prosper Avril arrested on charges of plotting against the state,

It made international news in May of 2001 when former Haitian president, Prosper Avril, who was in office from 1988 to 1990, was arrested at a restaurant in popular Petion-Ville, and charged for "plotting against the state." In an almost ironic twist, the scene of the arrest was Avril's book signing for The Black Book of Insecurity, a sort of tell-all focusing on crime victims in Haiti. His arrest that week made the second apprehension of a non-Lavalas party member, a fact which didn't go unnoticed in the then Aristide-run nation.

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Entrusted by the Duvaliers for the management of much of their overseas portfolio Prosper Avril became President of Haiti from 1988 to 1990

Matthieu Prosper Avril, born near Port-au-Prince in 1937, was Haiti's President between 1988 and 1990. His term began when he led the coup against the transition military government that had been set up following the exile of the second Duvalier government. His career began under the eye of Francois Duvalier, who called him the "Intelligent Prosper Avril." When the President's son came into power, Avril was forced into retirement, but later returned as Colonel in 1986 following the overthrow of Jean-Claude Duvalier's rule and subsequent exile.

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Here is a picture of three member of FADH Military guarding the tomb of former Haitian Dictator Francois Duvalier

The man was born on April 14, 1907 and would later become a successful physician, during which time he got his nickname for his ability to stave off diseases such as malaria and typhus. Setting himself up with President Dumarsais Estime, he was given the role of Director General of National Public Health in 1946, becoming Minister of Health and Labor 3 years later. In 1950, he stood in opposition of a military coup, and used the fame of his resulting six-year exile, plus his platform as both a populist and a black nationalist, to propel himself to presidency in 1957. By 1964, he declared himself "President for Life" and continued to use his influence to stay in power, exiling any who would oppose him. A fate that was no doubt less severe than that faced by the estimated 30,000 he had killed.

Over the course of his rule, there would be numerous attacks on his life, including the 1967 bombing near to the palace, which resulted in the shooting of 19 President Guard officers. In one of the greatest affronts to Haitian democracy, upon Duvalier's death in 1971, his son Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier, at 19, was named president after him, ushering in a new generation of despotic rule.

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Grande-Rivière-du-Nord's Rich Heritage as you are looking at

former Haitian military leader Henri Namphy who was born in Grande-Riviere-du-Nord

Grande-Rivière-du-Nord is a repository of historical events, people, and remnants of its past.

Gallifet Sugar Plantation was the site of a Voodoo incantation, leading to the Haiti Slave Rebellion. A few miles away sits military fortress, Citadel Laferriere, which housed battle contingents.

Grande Rivière gave birth to several rulers including Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Pioneering ethnologist, Jean Price Mars, was also born there.

One fact the town can boast of is a significant number of centenarians, one of few places in Haiti where they exist.

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During the Duvalier period, one important figure was General Jacques Gracia.
The period of the Duvalier in Haiti is filled with history. Here is the picture of General Jacques Gracia during this historical period.

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Do you know who are in this picture? I just want some old time Haitians from Cap-Haitien to give me the answer.

These people were at one time the the city of Cap-Haitian itself. Many of the new generation probably do not have a clue. I remember those days like yesterday. Although many of them install a notion of fair among the populations. However some how, in some twisted way, they helped to maintain order

Mwin pa konnin kombyen nan nou ki kapab di mwin non moun sa yo ki nan foto sa. Min, anpil vyero nan vill Cap-Haitien konnin moun sa yo tres byen. A on moman, moun sa yo te sel kok chante nan vill sa.

Si ou kapab sonje non kek nan yo, di nou?

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