Haitians cross the border with the Dominican Republic on March 8, 2024 to participate in the binational market (AFP/Archives/Erickson POLANCO)
Far from the violence ravaging Haiti, a market located on the border with the Dominican Republic manages to maintain a certain normality, despite tensions and increased control of Haitian visitors, with a biometric system to verify their identity.
At the Dajabon border post, a crowd of Haitians throng, eager to make purchases at this market, located some 200 km from Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital.
They are attracted by the offer of second-hand food, clothing, toys and even household appliances, items that are not always easy to find in Haiti.
Dominican immigration agents check the identity documents of Haitians wishing to make purchases on a binational market on the Dominican-Haitian border on March 8, 2024 (AFP/Archives/Erickson POLANCO)
However, as gang violence worsened in Haiti, the Dominican government increased the military presence at the border and placed soldiers on alert.
Although the twice-weekly Dajabon market continues to operate, authorities and merchants fear business will suffer as gangs that control large parts of Haiti make traveling around the country risky, travelers being vulnerable to being robbed or attacked.
“The market has seen a decline in the last month as customers are afraid to buy a large volume of goods for fear of being robbed on their way home,” Noel Fernandez, president of a retail association, told AFP. merchants. “The gangs are taking the goods,” he says.
“But thank God, even if we are not at 100%, the market is open,” added this 36-year-old man, a lifelong trader in the region.
Haitian gangs violently opposed the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, demanding his ouster.
Haiti, Latin America’s poorest country, has not held an election since 2016. Mr. Henry has been in office since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
He was supposed to hand over power to a successor in February, but he struck a power-sharing deal with the opposition to stay in place until new elections are held.
Riots demanding his dismissal intensified last week and the government extended a state of emergency after bandits attacked two prisons and freed thousands of inmates.
– Increased control –
The government of the much more stable Dominican Republic has been building a 174-kilometer wall along the border with Haiti since 2022, in order to control migration from its desperate neighbor.
In Dajabon, hundreds of Haitians cross the border on Mondays and Fridays, when access to the market is free.
As part of their control measures, the Dominicans established separate corridors for men and women. Guards use a biometric system to verify the identity of visitors.
Haitians examine goods on offer at a binational market in the border town of Dajabon in the Dominican Republic, March 8, 2024 (AFP/Archives/Erickson POLANCO)
The additional security measures were implemented because of “the problem our neighboring country is currently experiencing”, Morlin Fabian Tolentino, commander of a unit specializing in border security, told AFP.
Dominican traders said they felt safe and had suffered “no inconvenience.”
“Security is good” because of “rigorous” border controls, said Juan Osoria, a 42-year-old trader.
Dajabon residents “are more concerned about trade” than security issues, added Mayor Santiago Riveron, while confirming a drop in market demand due to the worsening Haitian crisis.
Yet Haitians continue to stroll through this colorful market, observing the wares and pushing wheelbarrows or carrying baskets that they hope to load with goods.
© 2024 AFP
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