List of commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti

This article lists the commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti (French: Forces Armées d'Haïti—FAd'H), from the end of the U.S. occupation in 1934 through the disbandment of the FAd'H in 1995, during the Operation Uphold Democracy, until the reinstatement of the FAd'H in 2017.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti
Commandant en chef des Forces armées d'Haïti Kòmandan an chèf Fòs Lame d'Ayiti
Insignia of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Haiti
Incumbent Lieutenant general Derby Guerrier Acting  since 20 August 2024
Armed Forces of Haiti
Reports to	Defense Minister
Seat	Grand Quartier Général des Forces Armées d'Haiti, Port-au-Prince
Appointer	President of Haiti
Formation	1 August 1934[a]
First holder	Colonel Démosthènes Pétrus Calixte[a]

Officeholders

Commanders of the Guard of Haiti

No.	Portrait	Commander of the Guard	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch
1		Calixte, Démosthènes PétrusColonel Démosthènes Pétrus Calixte (c. 1899–?)	1 August 1934	9 January 1938	3 years, 161 days	Haitian Army
2		André, JulesColonel Jules André	9 January 1938	28 August 1944	6 years, 232 days	Haitian Army
3		Lavaud, FranckColonel Franck Lavaud (1903–1986)	28 August 1944	5 September 1946	2 years, 8 days	Haitian Army

Chiefs of the General Staff of the Army

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Ref.
(3)		Lavaud, FranckBrigadier general Franck Lavaud (1903–1986)	5 September 1946	6 December 1950	4 years, 92 days	Haitian Army	–
4		Levelt, AntoineBrigadier general Antoine Levelt [fr] (1910–?)	6 December 1950	13 December 1956	6 years, 7 days	Haitian Army	–
5		Cantave, LéonBrigadier general Léon Cantave (1910–1967)	13 December 1956	26 May 1957	164 days	Haitian Army	–
6		Kébreau, Antonio ThrasybuleBrigadier general Antonio Thrasybule Kébreau (1909–1963)	26 May 1957	12 March 1958	290 days	Haitian Army	[1]
7		Flambert, Maurice P.Major general Maurice P. Flambert	12 March 1958	7 December 1958	269 days	Haitian Army	[2]
8		Merceron, PierreMajor general Pierre Merceron	7 December 1958	6 September 1961	2 years, 273 days	Haitian Army	–
9		Boucicault, Jean-RenéBrigadier general Jean-René Boucicault	7 September 1961	9 August 1962	336 days	Haitian Army	–
10		Constant, GérardBrigadier general Gérard Constant	9 August 1962	8 December 1970	8 years, 121 days	Haitian Army	–
11		Raymond, ClaudeLieutenant general Claude Raymond	8 December 1970	11 August 1973	2 years, 246 days	Haitian Army	[3][4]
12		Hilaire, Jean-BaptisteLieutenant general Jean-Baptiste Hilaire	11 August 1973	6 September 1978	5 years, 26 days	Haitian Army	–
13		Saint-Albin, RogerLieutenant general Roger Saint-Albin	7 September 1978	23 March 1984	5 years, 198 days	Haitian Army	–
14		Namphy, HenriLieutenant general Henri Namphy (1932–2018)	23 March 1984	4 November 1987	3 years, 226 days	Haitian Army	–

Commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti

No.	Portrait	Commander-in-chief	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Ref.
(14)		Namphy, HenriLieutenant general Henri Namphy (1932–2018)	4 November 1987	17 June 1988	226 days	Haitian Army	[5]
–		Gousse, MortonBrigadier general Morton Gousse Acting [b]	17 June 1988	19 June 1988	2 days	Haitian Army	[6]
15		Nicolas, Carl-MichelMajor general Carl-Michel Nicolas [c]	19 June 1988	17 September 1988	90 days	Haitian Army	[6]
16		Avril, ProsperLieutenant general Prosper Avril (born 1937)	17 September 1988	10 March 1990	1 year, 174 days	Haitian Army	[7][8]
17		Abraham, HérardLieutenant general Hérard Abraham (1940–2022)	10 March 1990	2 July 1991	1 year, 114 days	Haitian Army	–
18		Cédras, RaoulLieutenant general Raoul Cédras (born 1949) [d]	2 July 1991	10 October 1994	3 years, 100 days	Haitian Army	[9]
–		Duperval, Jean-ClaudeMajor general Jean-Claude Duperval (1947–2020) Acting	10 October 1994	17 November 1994	38 days	Haitian Army	[10][11]
19		Poisson, BernardinBrigadier general Bernardin Poisson (born 1948)	17 November 1994	20 February 1995	95 days	Haitian Army	[12][13][14]
Armed Forces disbanded (20 February 1995 – 17 November 2017)
–		Lessage, JodelLieutenant general Jodel Lessage (born 1954) Acting	17 November 2017	21 August 2024	6 years, 278 days	Haitian Army	[15]
–		Guerrier, DerbyLieutenant general Derby Guerrier Acting	21 August 2024	Incumbent	84 days	Haitian Army	[16]

Timeline

See also

• Haiti portal

• Military history of Haiti

Notes

1. Commander of the Guard of Haiti.
2. Dismissed following the June 1988 coup d'état.
3. Dismissed following the September 1988 coup d'état.
4. Staged the 1991 coup d'état. Afterwards served as de facto leader of Haiti from 1991 to 1994.

References

1. "Army Change in Haiti Replaces 'Strong Man'". The New York Times. 14 March 1958. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
2. "DUVALIER OUSTS HAITI ARMY CHIEF; Thwarting of Plot Is Hinted as Police Head Is Placed In Charge of Forces". The New York Times. 8 December 1958. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
3. "Haiti Shuffles Top Officials For Second Time in 2 Days". The New York Times. Associated Press. 13 August 1973. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
4. Eric Pace (11 February 2000). "Claude Raymond, 70, Duvalier Era General". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
5. "HAITIAN ARMY COMMANDER IS FIRED". The Washington Post. 18 June 1988. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
6. James Rupert (20 June 1988). "MILITARY STAGES COUP IN HAITI". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
7. Julia Preston (19 September 1988). "NEW GENERAL INSTALLED FOLLOWING HAITIAN COUP". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
8. Lee Hockstader (11 March 1990). "EMBATTLED RULER QUITS IN HAITI". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
9. Douglas Farah, William Booth (11 October 1994). "LAST TWO OF HAITI'S MILITARY TRIUMVIRATE QUIT". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
10. "New leader is considered to be weaker, low key". Tampa Bay Times. 11 October 1994. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
11. Larry Rohter (18 November 1994). "Aristide Ousts Acting Army Chief". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
12. Edward Cody (18 November 1994). "ARISTIDE PICKS NEW ARMY CHIEF". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
13. "Aristide appoints army chief". Tampa Bay Times. 18 November 1994. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
14. "Aristide purges top army officers". The Baltimore Sun. 22 February 1995. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
15. "Haiti - FLASH : President Moïse appoints acting Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Haiti". haitilibre.com. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
16. "General Derby Guerrier Assumes Official Command of the Haitian Armed Forces". lenouvelliste.com. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

Bibliography

• Daniel Supplice, Bibliographic dictionary of political personalities of the Republic of Haiti 1804–2001. Lanno Imprimerie, Belgium 2001, ISBN 9993562300