International

Dominican Republic gives Haiti 48 hours to resolve border river conflict

Photo: Listín Diario

September 12 |

The Government of the Dominican Republic gave this Tuesday a 48-hour ultimatum to Haiti to resolve the conflict that has arisen around the border river, called Masacre, otherwise it will order the total closure of the land, sea and air borders.

Luis Abinader’s government made the decision in the midst of what they call the threat posed by the plan of Haitian groups to divert the waters of the Masacre River and is a new measure, part of those adopted Monday morning by the Dominican National Security Council.

The package of measures also includes the definitive suspension of the issuance of visas to Haitians, “until further notice”, and the prohibition of entry into the country of all those involved in the conflict.

Although Luis Abinader’s ultimatum enters its first day on Tuesday, the total closure of the border with Dajabón continues without variation.

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Despite the escalation, Abinader, said he was confident that “good sense” would prevail and that there would be a solution to the Haitian construction of a canal to divert water from the bordering Masacre River.

“I do not want to be optimistic and naive (…) I hope that good sense will prevail between now and Thursday”, otherwise “we would have no other alternative”, said the president.

The President insisted that the Haitian government does not agree with the construction of the canal either, “it does not have the authorization nor the official support and resources”, since it is “a private canal of Haitian businessmen” to take the water to a reservoir and, from there, to distribute it to lands and farms owned by the group.

However, he reiterated, given the “situation of ungovernability” in the neighboring country, the Dominican Republic does not have “a valid interlocutor” on this matter and the Haitian government is not in a position to stop the “unacceptable” problem of the canal.

The Haitian government has remained silent on the decision of the National Security Council of the Dominican Republic.

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Related Topics:Dominican Republic Haïti

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