Individuals stand close to the development of a canal, on the financial institution of the Bloodbath River, a pure border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, photographed from Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti on Friday in a dispute about building of a canal on Haitian soil that faucets into the shared river. (AP Photograph/Ricardo Hernandez)
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The Dominican Republic authorities stated Monday it’ll briefly enable commerce of important merchandise, together with meals and medicines, on its border with Haiti. However it stated it’ll preserve a ban on the entry of Haitian residents amid a dispute over the construction of a canal focusing on a river that runs by means of each international locations.
The measure will come into power on Wednesday beginning at 8:00 a.m. in 4 border provinces in an effort to facilitate the commerce of merchandise aimed particularly at kids, the federal government stated in an announcement.
The announcement comes weeks after the Dominican Republic introduced the closure of all land, air and sea borders with Haiti in a dispute about building of a canal on Haitian soil that might divert waters from the Bloodbath River with the intention to alleviate a drought that impacts the Haitian Maribaroux plain.
This generated a diplomatic disaster between each international locations that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
The Dominican authorities additionally stated it’ll reinforce the nation’s navy presence on the border to make entry to its territory tougher for gang members who may flee Haiti as a multinational force arrives in the troubled Caribbean nation after approval by the UN Safety Council.
“We’ll indefinitely preserve the closure of the border to immigration to forestall the transit of individuals from Haitian territory,” the federal government stated, including it’ll additionally indefinitely prolong the suspension of visas to Haitian residents.
