Haiti: Continued insecurity along border with Dominican Republic

Event

Human rights organizations have called for an increased security presence by Haitian forces along the Dominican Republic border following an incident on Friday, July 14, involving a Dominican soldier who allegedly shot a Haitian trucker in the foot at the Carisal/Elias Piñas border check point on accident as he was trying to force the trucker to stop. According to local reports, the soldier fired warning shots at the tires of the truck after the trucker did not follow the soldier's order to stop at the checkpoint. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to a local human rights organization, there have been other incidents of Dominican soldiers prohibiting Haitian drivers from crossing the border, puncturing the tires of vehicles, and putting a gun against a driver's forehead.

Context

On Friday, April 21, the Dominican Defense Minister Rubén Darío Paulino announced that there would be a gradual increase in troop levels along the 391-km (243-mi) border with Haiti in the coming months. The build-up is intended to bolster border security leading up to the withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) peacekeeping force from Haiti, slated for November 7, 2017.

Haitian mili​tary barracks located along the border of the two countries are often undermanned and ill-equipped in terms of logistical support (i.e., communications and transportation). On March 30, a group of men attacked a military barrack located at a border checkpoint with Haiti in the Dominican town of Cabeza de Agua (Pedernales province). Only one guard was present at the checkpoint when the attack took place.

MINUSTAH forces were deployed to Haiti in June 2004 via a UN Security Council Resolution following the exile of then-Haitian President Bertrand Aristide. Troop levels were increased in January 2010 to support Haiti in its recovery efforts in the wake of a devastating earthquake. The UN announced the planned departure of MINUSTAH troops in March 2017.

Advice

Individuals traveling to Dominican-Haitian border regions are advised to remain vigilant and to research road and border conditions prior to departure. If crossing the border be aware there are only four crossings and long wait times are common. Furthermore, land access to the neighboring country is often hindered by roadblocks and border closings as tensions between the two countries run high.