Haitian Prime Minister Dr. Garry Conille visited the site of the Ouanaminthe Canal, a project built on the Massacre River, on Friday, August 23, 2024. Unlike his predecessor Ariel Henry, who never visited this project supported by the Haitian diaspora, Conille intends to assess the situation on site. The canal, designed to improve the irrigation of Haitian agricultural land, is causing tensions with the Dominican Republic.
Haitian Prime Minister Dr. Garry Conille visited the Ouanaminthe Canal, a controversial project built on the Massacre River, on Friday, August 23, 2024. This highly anticipated visit marks a turning point in the management of this sensitive issue. Former Prime Minister Ariel Henry had never taken the time to go there to see the stakes of this project, which was widely supported by the Haitian people and largely financed by the diaspora.
Unlike Henry, Dr. Conille chose to personally go to the field to better understand local issues. “Today, I came to see, listen and understand,” he said in the presence of local authorities and residents living along the canal. This irrigation project is crucial for the Ouanaminthe region, as it aims to improve agricultural productivity and support the local economy, which relies heavily on agriculture.
However, the Dominican Republic has expressed concerns about the environmental impacts of the canal. Dominican authorities fear that changing the course of the Massacre River will reduce the flow of water downstream, which they say could affect Dominican communities along the river. This has led to increased diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
The construction of the Massacre River Canal project remains a point of contention between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Prime Minister Conille’s visit sends a strong message about the Haitian government’s commitment to resolving this conflict while reaffirming the importance of diaspora investment in the country’s development projects.
Par Gazette Haiti News
