Port-au-Prince.- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti has dispatched a comprehensive report to its diplomatic missions worldwide, shedding light on the ongoing dispute with the Dominican Republic. This dispute revolves around the resumption of canal construction on the Haitian side of the Masacre River.
The diplomatic missions have been instructed to utilize this report as a reference to gather essential information for informing host countries’ foreign ministries, international organization secretariats, and other foreign diplomatic missions about Haiti’s legal right to utilize Masacre River waters for irrigation purposes.
Furthermore, the report highlights what Haiti deems “unilateral and unfriendly acts” by top Dominican authorities who appear to be capitalizing on this situation for electoral objectives.
The Ministry urges its diplomatic missions to emphasize that President Luis Abinader’s hasty decision has already adversely impacted the security of Haitian residents in the Dominican Republic. It underscores that the Haitian Government has consistently acted in good faith and remains open to dialogue. If needed, the missions are encouraged to reach out to Ministry officials for additional clarifications.
In response to these developments, Haiti reaffirmed its sovereignty over the exploitation of its natural resources, citing the 1929 bilateral agreement with the Dominican Republic. It asserts the right to make water intakes in the Masacre River and vows to protect the interests of its people while favoring dialogue.
The report underscores that ongoing dialogue between Haitian and Dominican delegations was abruptly disrupted by President Abinader’s unilateral decision to close the borders.
Haiti aims to ensure that the irrigation of the Maribahoux plain complies with regulations under the supervision of the Ministries of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural and Environmental Development. It also calls for the protection of lives and property on both sides of the border and respect for international conventions governing this matter.
In recent developments, the Dominican Republic announced a ban on nine Haitian individuals from entering the country, including former officials, former legislators, and Camiel Samson, considered the “sponsor” of the controversial canal.