Haiti - Security: New Attack Against Dominican Trucks

Haiti - Security : New attack against Dominican trucks
25/03/2015 10:12:06

Blas Peralta, President of the National Federation of the Dominicans Transporters (Fenatrado) denounced the new attack against the Dominican trucks carrying goods to Haiti.

The incident occurred last Saturday around 11:00 pm while 6 trucks of the Association of owners and drivers of Salina, transporting gypsum from "Mine de la Lista" (Cabral), until the cement plant Cina, located in the Haitian community of Cabaret (on the road of Gonaïves) were victims of stone throwing and various hard objects. The assault occurred while trucks were inside the Haitian cement factory, by a group of violent individuals, and despite the Haiti's police protection, which could not prevent these people from causing damage to truckshttp://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13352-haiti-security-the-minustah-and-pnh-protect-dominican-trucks.html

Blas Peralta, said that since the agreements reached with the Haitian government for the protection of transport in Haiti following, the blocking in Ouanaminthe of 27 trucks and threats against the lives of drivers on March 5http://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13352-haiti-security-the-minustah-and-pnh-protect-dominican-trucks.html , more than 24 Dominican trucks were damaged by various attacks on the Haitian roads. He added that this latest attack, was jeopardizing the agreements between the two countries, in term of security for freight transport. He lamented that no one in Haiti seems to be able to prevent such situations.

In a statement, the Fenatrado warned of a possible paralysis of transport to Haiti "given the continuing attacks, truckers will be forced to suspend the transport of goods in the neighboring country, until the Haitian and Dominican authorities agree to ensure the safety of vehicles, drivers and transported goods."

Peralta stressed that a paralyzed of the transport would cause great economic losses for each days off "there are a lot of Dominican companies whose main customers are in Haiti," noting that every day more than 100 trucks come and go between the two countries "It would be a loss for both Dominican entrepreneurs like Haitians". He recalled also that due to the insecurity in Haiti and the risk incurred for goods, drivers and their trucks, truck owners have to pay a monthly premium between 3,500 and 4,000 US dollars and that in addition attacked trucks must be repaired at the expense of the owner.

Following the latest incident, a meeting of the Council of truckers took place where was present representatives of the 218 members of the Federation unions. They discuss among others: measures against such attacks, the possibility of calling to a stopping of transport to Haiti and of a request to the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the reactivation of the Bilateral subcommittee on transportation between the two countries to discuss security issues.