The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Haiti to the Organization of American States (OAS), expressed this Thursday its willingness to welcome the calls for dialogue launched by various commissions from other countries, in the face of the current conflict with the Republic Dominican about the construction of a canal on the Masacre River.

Through a declaration, they detailed a series of considerations which establish their "right to access and to the equitable distribution of the resource" shared with the neighboring country.

"Haiti welcomes all calls for dialogue from partner States and international institutions in relation to the dispute with the Dominican Republic over the use of shared water resources of the Masacre River," the statement said.

The letter underlines the "desire to continue the dialogue with the neighboring country"

Below is the full statement :

"REPUBLIC OF HAITI

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND CULT

The Republic of Haiti welcomes all calls for dialogue from partner States and international institutions in relation to the dispute with the Dominican Republic over the use of shared water resources of the Masacre River. Took careful note of the elements contained in the declaration published by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States on September 27, 2023, recalling in particular the inalienable right of both Parties to use this river in a just and equitable manner for their needs agricultural and industrial, in accordance with article 10 of the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Arbitration of February 20, 1929.

For a better understanding of the case, the following facts should be taken into account:

- The Masacre River is a border waterway fed by tributaries from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Haitian territory thus contributes to generating mobilizable flows along the upstream sections of this common river.

- On the other hand, downstream of the Ouanaminthe-Dajabon axis, the river bed is no longer cut off, the high waters therefore overflow the banks to flood the plains on either side of the border. Consequently, the lower plain of Maribaroux is naturally and regularly flooded by the floods of the Masacre river.

- The canal under construction in Ouanaminthe will be supplied by a bank intake, which will be the first intake structure built by the Haitian side on this shared watercourse. It is located below a dozen water intakes already built and operated by the Dominicans. In addition, the dimensions of the canal and its water intake are not large enough to divert the Masacre River from its small natural channel.

These data and considerations establish our right to access and to the equitable distribution of the resource.

Accordingly, the Republic of Haiti reaffirms the sovereign right of the Haitian people to use the shared water resources of the Masacre River in a fair and equitable manner. Likewise, it reiterates its desire to continue dialogue with the neighboring country, as demonstrated in the note of September 15, 2023 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.

Read also on the Haiti Irrigation Canal affair :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40492-haiti-canal-conflict-a-haitian-delegation-in-the-dominican-republic-today.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40478-haiti-flashthe-dominican-government-announces-measures-and-issues-an-ultimatum-to-haiti-canal-river-massacre.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40476-icihaiti-diversion-canal-tension-rises-in-the-dominican-republic.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40463-haiti-flash-4th-day-of-border-closure-in-dajabon-the-standoff-continues.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40450-haiti-flash-diversion-channel-the-dominican-republic-sends-armored-vehicles-to-the-northern-border-with-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40406-haiti-politic-the-dr-asks-haiti-to-stop-the-resumption-of-work-on-the-diversion-channel-of-the-massacre-river.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36174-haiti-politic-claude-joseph-deplores-the-stoppage-of-the-construction-of-the-irrigation-canal-of-the-massacre-river.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34875-icihaiti-rd-resumption-of-works-of-the-massacre-river-irrigation-canal.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34389-icihaiti-dr-stop-in-haiti-of-the-construction-of-the-canal-to-collect-water-from-the-massacre-river.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33974-haiti-dr-the-construction-of-the-haitian-canal-on-the-massacre-river-on-the-way-to-becoming-an-international-affair.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33953-haiti-flash-dominican-geologist-osiris-de-leon-denies-haiti-s-assertions.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33945-haiti-flash-canal-on-the-massacre-river-in-haiti-dominican-president-abinader-raises-the-tone.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33854-haiti-flash-president-abinader-announces-the-construction-of-a-dam-on-the-artibonite-river-in-dominican-soil.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33823-haiti-agriculture-diversion-of-the-massacre-river-in-search-of-a-solution-with-the-dr.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33596-haiti-flash-conflict-with-the-dr-over-a-canal-diverting-the-massacre-river-to-haiti.html

SL/ TB/ HaitiLibre