Because of the present clash between the Dominican Republic and the neighboring Republic of Haiti, several newspapers have referenced the 20 February 1929 agreement between the two countries to put things in perspective. This list of signers for the Dominican Republic is a string of names that currently adorn many schools and buildings in this country. They are all in the history books.
The first article calls for rejecting war and violence between the two countries.
The second calls for the two countries to provide a 10-kilometer strip along the border that is free of fortifications and military structures. However, this does not include barracks needed for the troops that will patrol the border.
Article three calls for arbitration on all disputes such as the interpretation of the treaty, any point of International Law, anything that might constitute a violation of an international commitment and so forth.
Following articles discuss the procedures for arbitration.
Article 10 is specific on situations regarding rivers that flow into both countries. This article says that because rivers and other waterways arise in one country and flow through the other, both parties agree that there will be no project that will move the waters or alter the flow of the waterway. “This disposition shall not be interpreted in the sense that it deprives either of the two states of the right to use he waters in a just and equitable manner, within the limits of their territories, these rivers and other waterways for the irrigation of lands and other farm and industrial uses.”
The current situation could go to the arbitration table, if and when the two countries can agree on this path. The Dominican government has replied to the Organization of American States (OAS) regarding their interest in the conflict. Luis Amagro, secretary general for the OAS, in the past has expressed that the Dominican Republic and Haiti are one, referring to the sharing of the same island.
Dominican minister of Foreign Relation has invited the head of the OAS, Luis Almagro, to visit Haiti and see for himself what is going on.
The Dominican position is that Haiti is building this canal “unilaterally” and without sufficient studies regarding the possible impacts. The Dominican Foreign Relations Minister says the Haitian authorities have admitted (informally) that the canal was initiated without any studies or plans.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
N Digital
DR1 News
2 October 2023