President Luis Abinader convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the situation in Haiti. The meeting is scheduled on Monday 11 September 2023 at 9am in the National Police offices.
The government has said the meeting is convened for discussions to guarantee national sovereignty and security on the border given recent developments in Haiti. The President convened the Interior & Police Minister Jesus Vasquez Martinez; Defense Minister Carlos Luciano Diaz Morfa; National Police director Eduardo Alberto Then; president of the National Drug Control Agency Jose Manuel Cabrera Ulloa and others. The intention is to coordinate actions in the national interest.
Since 7 September 2023, the border with Haiti in the northern side of the country has been closed after reports of the continuing construction of an irrigation canal that would affect the flow of the waters of Masacre River that divide both countries.
Dominican President Luis Abinader said on Saturday, 9 September 2023 in Santiago, that he has closed the northern border gates with Haiti on Wednesday, 6 September and it will remain closed until the Haitians cease with the work on a canal on the Massacre River that divides the two nations.
Many months ago, construction work resumed on a canal that would divert water from the river for agricultural and home use. The Dominican government has requested the Haitian government act to impede the construction. There are reports that Haitian military are providing security for the construction of the waterworks by the Haitians.
The Masacre River is the natural border between Haiti and the DR for around five kilometers. The flow of water has largely decreased due to deforestation, mainly on the Haitian side.
The construction in the past has been halted at the request of the Dominican government because there are several treaties that require adjustments before any such project that affects the shared water sources can go into effect.
After the Haitians resumed work on the canal, the Foreign Relations Minister and other high-ranking officials have denounced the work and called for the immediate halt to the construction.
A meeting was held by the two sides but nothing was accomplished that satisfied the Dominican position.
Subsequently, President Abinader backed the closing of the official border gates. This is not an easy choice, since there are major commercial issues at stake, both for Dominican as well as Haitian merchants.
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El Nacional
11 September 2023