Dominican Defense Minister says Haiti border is "completely calm
Dominican Defense Minister says the border with Haiti is "completely calm," despite tensions over armed gangs.
Key points
- Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández toured the main border crossings with Presidency Minister José Ignacio Paliza.
- According to the minister, Haitian armed gangs remain in the same places as a year ago.
- More than 11,000 soldiers are deployed along the border.
- The area was reinforced with two battalions, heavy equipment and artillery.
Dominican Defense Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández said Wednesday that the border with Haiti "is completely calm." He made the statement after visiting the main crossing points with the neighboring country, on a tour that also included Presidency Minister José Ignacio Paliza.
The visit comes as operations against armed gangs in Port-au-Prince intensify. Authorities are searching for four Salvadoran soldiers who were part of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and disappeared on October 18 after being attacked.
According to Fernández, the gangs "are located in the same place they were a year ago." He said the closest ones are in Mirebalais and Croix-des-Bouquets, and are not as close to the border as has been claimed. Authorities observed that trade, authorized travel and other daily activities in the area "are proceeding normally."
The tour covered the formal crossings at Dajabón, Elías Piña, Jimaní and Pedernales. The minister also met with soldiers stationed at the border and conveyed a message of "recognition, motivation and support," according to a Ministry of Defense statement.
At the end of last month, the government deployed two battalions, along with heavy equipment and artillery, to reinforce security. This reinforcement joins some 11,000 soldiers deployed along the border, according to President Luis Abinader.
Meanwhile, Presidency Minister Paliza said the government "must be very prudent" in how it engages in the Haitian conflict, and warned that any action not circumscribed to due processes, including international ones, "could lead to a longer conflict." He added that the country provides El Salvador with logistical, intelligence and military support, as well as medical assistance "when they need it." He also said that, if any additional action were required, including a border closure, the government would act in line with the circumstances.
Why it matters
The border separates the Dominican Republic from Haiti. According to authorities, trade and authorized travel in the area continue normally, although tensions in Haiti keep the government on alert.