Santo Domingo.- Faruk Miguel, a diplomat representing the Dominican Republic in Haiti, received information from the Foreign Ministry of the neighboring country stating that the construction of a canal to divert the waters of the Dajabón or Masacre river is the private initiative of former interim prime minister, Claude Joseph. The purpose behind this project is allegedly to create a crisis between the two nations.
Miguel clarified that the canal construction is not led by the government, but rather by prominent Haitian producers under Mr. Joseph’s leadership. The Dominican diplomatic authorities have strongly opposed this construction since it began in 2016. As a result of this opposition, a meeting of the Bilateral Mixed Commission took place, attended by the ambassadors of both countries. In this meeting, the Dominican Republic requested documentation and plans of the project to ensure that it would not negatively impact the riverbed.
“At that meeting of the Bilateral Mixed Commission, it was established that the canal should not divert the river. Therefore, the document that was produced from that meeting, which is not an agreement, states that it cannot be a canal that diverts the river,” explained Miguel.
During a discussion titled “Dominican-Haitian Crisis: Origin and Evolution,” organized by the Center for Public Policy Research (CIPP) and the National News Network (RNN), Miguel revealed that due to the lack of response and documentation for the project, Dominican Foreign Minister, Roberto Álvarez, sent a communication to the Haitian Foreign Ministry on June 6, 2021. The communication requested compliance with the previously agreed terms and the immediate cessation of construction. This request was made prior to the tragic assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Miguel pointed out that the canal builders intend to extract one and a half cubic meters of water per second. In comparison, the aquifer bed typically contains three meters of water during rainy weather and one meter during dry weather. This is why the Dominican government opposes the project as it poses a threat to the binational river and its ecosystems.
While Miguel emphasized the need for diplomatic dialogue to resolve this crisis, he also acknowledged the challenges posed by the lack of institutional stability in Haiti. This instability makes it difficult to create conditions that are conducive to negotiation.