Papa Doc and Baby Doc Duvalier had a group of men to enforce their wishes, officially called the National Security Volunteers (or something like that), but commonly known as the Tontons Macoutes (singular Tonton Macoute). The only English translations I’ve been able to find are along the lines of “ogres” or “bogeymen”, but it’s pretty obvious those aren’t literal translations.
Tonton apparently means the same thing as in standard French, a familiar or childish term for one’s uncle. But the only definition I could find for macoute is “a big bag made of palm leaves used by country folk.” I can’t speak for anyone else, but “Unca Big-Bag” doesn’t evoke a great deal of fear in me. Is there another meaning of macoute that I don’t know, or is there a sinister story behind bags made of palm leaves?