Weeks after closing the border to halt the construction of another canal on the Haitian side that it claims breached a treaty, the Dominican Republic is prepared to reopen a defunct canal off a river shared with the neighboring country of Haiti.
Santo Domingo closed its border in the middle of September, preventing travel by land, air, and sea for persons and goods due to the construction of a canal by private individuals off the Massacre River on the Haitian side of the border in the Dajabon region.
- Advertisement -
The La Vigia canal, which was shut down in 2007, is prepared to reopen in Dajabon, according to a recent statement from the Dominican government. The INDRHI water authority stated the testing on three motor pumps built at the intake site was successful.
The statement notes, “This immediate solution will guarantee water for local producers who could be affected by the construction of a canal in Haitian territory that diverts the waters of the Dajabon River,” the government said in a statement.
According to the treaty, Haiti, which is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe brought on by gang violence, has the right to exploit resources on its side of the border. The Dominican Republic deporting tens of thousands of migrants back into Haiti has strained ties between the two nations.
Luis Abinader, the president of the Dominican Republic, who is up for reelection in 2024, also stated that his nation intends to build two dams that ” without the treaty could significantly affect” Haiti.
The Organization of American States has called for a resumption of dialogue saying the current situation benefits neither party.
Last week the OAS stated, “There can be no doubt that Haiti and the Dominican Republic have equal rights of use over the Dajabon or Massacre River and that its water resources are vital for both, given the needs of its inhabitants, especially in the current context of drought.”
