According to the Support Group for Repatriated and Refugees (GARR), a land conflict may be erupted at the edge separating Haiti from the Dominican Republic, especially at the level of the commune of Cornillon / Grand Bois (West of Haiti). According to information provided by a representative of GARR, Dominican military from La Descubierta and Neiba announced that they will destroy, this Thursday, November 9, garden fences belonging to Haitian farmers in this area.

A delegation of 16 people, mostly Dominicans, met, on October 19, 2017, Mr. Wilfrid Guerrier, member of CASEC of Boucan Bois Pin, 1st communal section of Cornillon / Grand Bois. During this meeting, the military, accompanied by Dominican civilians claiming to be owners of the portions that would be occupied by the Haitian peasants demanded the restitution in the immediate future of the latter.

Mr. Guerrier told the organization "The Dominican soldiers have told me if I do not remove the fences to return the occupied land, they will come and remove them themselves. However, if it is necessary to restore, on my own I can not make such a decision," he also states having already contacted other authorities on this subject, in particular the Cornillon/Grand-Bois Town Hall, the Departmental Direction of the West as well as the Deputy of the commune.

Wilfrid Guerrier has indicated that he does not believe it is legitimate to have for interlocutors military Dominicans. Initially, he wanted to initiate the dialogue but the Dominicans intend to take action without giving the Haitian institutions concerned time to settle peacefully.

A psychosis of fear reigns at the level of the population of the localities of "Nan Palm", "Gobè" and "Zoliv". Peasants who have been growing bananas and peas for years on these lands claim to be the heirs of their parents who were of their great-grandparents. They intend to mobilize against the return of the Dominican military which is announced for November 9, 2017.

"We are really worried. We fear possible risks of confrontation between the poor Haitian peasants of these localities with the Dominican military," alarmed Junior Bertho, representative of the GARR in Cornillon/Grand Bois, which took part in the discussions with the local authorities of the commune .

GARR encourages the authorities and local populations of Cornillon/Grand-Bois to continue the dialogue in order to peacefully resolve this land conflict.

He believes that terminal management at the Haitian-Dominican border can not be left in the hands of CASEC and ASEC members or even municipal authorities. This is directly related to the binational relationship between the two states that share the Island.

The GARR urges the Haitian government, particularly the authorities concerned to intervene quickly in this case to prevent our compatriots are victims of acts of violence on the part of the Dominican military.

S/ HaitiLibre