The Dominican Republic will not participate in the interim international security force the United Nations is coordinating for Haiti, said Foreign Relations Minister Francisco Guerrero Prats. He said the DR will maintain a neutral position in the crisis, while offering Dominican territory as a bridge for the dispatch of humanitarian aide to the Haitians. Nevertheless, the DR would back any initiative of the United Nations directed at restoring peace to its neighbor country. US Marines were the first to arrive on the island, while France has sent a contingent and Chilean and Canadian troops are soon expected. The UN Security Council resolution stated that the situation in Haiti constitutes a threat to international peace and security and the stability of the Caribbean region, especially through a potential outflow of people to other states in the area. It authorized what was called a “multinational interim force” to remain for no more than three months and says the Security Council would then be prepared to establish a UN peacekeeping force to remain in Haiti for a longer, unspecified period. The order came after Jean-Bertrand Aristide boarded a private jet and left the country to take exile in the Central African Republic. Supreme Court Justice Boniface Alexandre declared at a news conference shortly after Aristide’s departure that he was taking control of the government as called for by the constitution.
News reports indicate that normalcy has been restored along the Haitian-Dominican border, including the biweekly market days when Haitians cross over to buy Dominican products.