Saturday, following the assassination in Neiba, Dominican Republic, of José Mendez Diaz and Luja Encarnacion Diaz, a 70 year old Dominican couple, ndividuals of Dominican origin took revenge by killing a man of Haitian descent.

In a statement, the Dominican police say that the Dominican couple would have be stabbed during a robbery by persons of Haitian origin...

Before the massive risk of reprisals, Haitian [men, women and children] who lived in the South West of Neiba for several years, have sought police protection, reported the Rev. Antoine Lissaint of the Jesuit Refugee Service. The police has entrusted this group of 244 people to soldiers that led them to the border and returned in Haiti Saturday [!]

The National Office of Migration (ONM) welcomed the Haitians and gave each a sum equivalent to 23 U.S. dollars to assist them. Our countrymen were led to the Accommodation center for returnees located in Marin (north of Port-au-Prince).

In response to this drama, the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE) in a note expresses its dismay and gave a clarification on the misinformation surrounding this event.

"[...] The MHAVE has learned with dismay the violent death of a Haitian national arising from acts of collective vengeance perpetrated by Dominican citizens following the alleged assassination of two of their compatriots.

The MHAVE presents its sympathies to the family and friends affected by these bereavements.

The MHAVE considers it necessary to draw the attention of the general public and broadcast media, print, television in particular, that

the information that circulates in Port-au-Prince and some social networks, making believe that thirty Haitian nationals have been killed is totally false.

However, MHAVE strongly condemns the repeated acts of xenophobic and discriminatory against the Haitian community in the Dominican Republic on the basis of the alleged involvement of some of its members in criminal acts.

In coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MHAVE will investigate to determine the actual circumstances of this new episode, at all points of view unacceptable, of persecution and repatriation of Haitian nationals in Dominican territory. Crimes related to this issue can not remains unpunished [...]"

Also Saturday night, in protest, we learned that burning barricades had been erected in the vicinity of the Dominican Consulate in Petionville.

SL/ HL/ HaitiLibre