Haitian President Michel Martelly says his government is moving forward with a plan to reconstitute the nation's military.
Martelly made the announcement Friday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, during a ceremony commemorating Armed Forces Day. He said the government will put together a commission to develop a plan to restore the military, which was disbanded in 1995.
Haiti's international backers, including the United States, have opposed the idea of resurrecting the military.
U.S. special coordinator for Haiti, Tom Adams, has said Haiti would be better off investing in its police force than rebuilding the military, which had a history of human rights abuses and participation in coups.
Haiti's Armed Forces Day is the anniversary of Haiti's last battle in the war for independence from France.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.