SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, CMC – The Dominica Republic has announced plans to reopen some border crossing with Haiti on Wednesday partially, but under strict military control.
The two countries make up the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Still, late last month, the Dominican Republic closed its land, air, and sea borders with the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country as the two nations continue to be at odds over constructing an irrigation canal in Haiti.
Water from the canal comes from the Massacre River, which flows between the two countries.
The spokesperson for the Dominican Republic government, Homero Figueroa, speaking following a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday, said the reopening of the border under strict military control would be on Wednesday, October 11, from 8:00 am (local time) and that there would also be an indefinite extension of the suspension of the issuance of visas to Haitian citizens.
In addition, the Dominican Republic announced the activation of a fund from the Development and Export Bank (Bandex) to finance a vast agricultural mechanization program to reduce the hiring of illegal Haitian workers.
The Spanish-speaking country will also strengthen the militarization of the border to make access to its territory even more difficult for gang members fleeing the upcoming arrival of a multinational force in Haiti.
It will also maintain the closure of the border to immigration indefinitely to prevent the transit of people coming from Haitian territory and ban the export to Haiti of electronic products, cement, iron rebar, and other construction materials.
Figueroa said there would also be the establishment of Provisional Trade Corridors (PTC), with strict military control measures and mandatory biometric registration, in the provinces of Dajabón, Elías Piña, Independencia, and Pedernales to facilitate trade in essential Dominican products such as food and medications, especially for infants.
”These measures will continue to be the new norm at the border until Haiti returns to standard governance,” Figueroa said, noting that the measures will be applied from Friday, October 13 at 6:00 am)local time).
The Haitian government reported as an outcome of the border closure that an outcome will only be acceptable if the Dominican Republic allows the equitable sharing of water resources, the normalization of relations, and the complete return to the movement of people and goods of both sides, as was the case between the two Republics before the unilateral closure of September 15.
Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media show Haitians crossing on foot to uncontrolled border areas to buy Dominican products and resell them on the Haitian market.
According to official figures, more than half of Haitians consume from the Dominican Republic.
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