Haiti’s Foreign Ministry sent a detailed report to its diplomatic missions worldwide. The report focuses on the ongoing dispute with the Dominican Republic regarding canal construction on the Haitian side of the Masacre River.
Diplomatic missions have been instructed to use the report as a reference and share crucial information with the foreign ministries of host countries, international organizations, and other diplomatic missions. The goal is to inform them about Haiti’s legal right to use the Masacre River for irrigation.
Additionally, the report highlights what Haiti considers “unilateral and hostile acts” by high-ranking Dominican authorities. These authorities seem to be using the situation for electoral purposes.
The Ministry urges diplomatic missions to emphasize that President Luis Abinader’s quick decision has negatively impacted the security of Haitians in the Dominican Republic. They stress that the Haitian Government has acted in good faith and remains open to dialogue. If needed, missions should contact Ministry officials for further clarification.
In response to these events, Haiti asserts its sovereignty over the exploitation of its natural resources. They refer to the 1929 bilateral agreement with the Dominican Republic to support their claim. Haiti affirms its right to use water from the Masacre River while promising to protect the interests of its people and promote dialogue.
The report highlights that the ongoing dialogue between Haitian and Dominican delegations was abruptly halted due to President Abinader’s unilateral decision to close the borders.
Haiti aims to ensure that the irrigation of the Maribahoux Plain follows regulations supervised by the Ministries of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural and Environmental Development. They also call for the protection of lives and property on both sides of the border and respect for international conventions related to this matter.
In recent events, the Dominican Republic announced a ban on nine Haitians, including former officials, former legislators, and Camiel Samson, considered the “sponsor” of the controversial channel.