CARICOM reiterates support for Belize in border dispute

The 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has reiterated its support for Belize in its ongoing border dispute with Guatemala following last weekend’s incident involving members of the Belize Defense Force (BDF) and the Guatemalan Navy near the mouth of the Sarstoon River.

“The Caribbean Community expresses its grave concern over the incident which took place at the Sarstoon River, the southern boundary of Belize with the Republic of Guatemala, between Belizean Security Forces and Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) on 12 March 2016,” CARICOM said in a statement.

It said that “the GAF entered Belizean internal waters and acted in an intimidating manner towards the Belizean forces at their Forward Operating Base on Belize’s mainland at the mouth of the Sarstoon River. “The GAF claimed that the River belonged to them, although the mid-channel of the River was the settled and agreed border between the Republic of Guatemala and the United Kingdom long before Belize’s independence in 1981.  Since Independence Belize has always continued to assert its sovereignty over the area,” CARICOM said.

Earlier this week, National Security Minister, John Saldivar, said he was hopeful of a diplomatic solution would be found and the matter was raised during talks in Washington between Belizean and Guatemalan foreign ministers Wilfred Elrington and Carlos Raul Morales at the Organization of American States (OAS).

“A military solution is not good for any of us,” Saldivar said, adding “the heightened security concerns in the area really do worry us but we are at this point exploring the diplomatic avenues to try to get it resolved”.

Belize is reported to have sent a protest note to Guatemala over the incident but the Guatemalans replied disagreeing with Belmopan’s version of the incident.

In its response, the Guatemalans noted that “on March eleventh, a BDF boat, without following the protocol of security usually implemented on the Sarstoon River, came into Guatemalan internal waters on the mentioned river and navigated by the south of the mentioned river.

“On March twelfth, contact was established via radio with the BDF to indicate to them that they have to abide by protocols of security habitually followed on the Sarstoon River. They were informed that when they traversed the river they had damaged a gill net, property of a Guatemalan resident.”

The Guatemalan authorities said that communication was met with insults from the BDF and “at no time was there any provocation from the Guatemalan authorities toward those on the Belizean boat who were asked to continue to use the security protocols normally used in respect of the Sarstoon River.

“For this reason, the Ministry considers that it is a lie to say that the Guatemalan officials behaved in a manner that is threatening and hostile, when the only issue that was sought was to ask the crew on the Belizean boat to follow the security protocols normally implemented on the Sarstoon.”

In its statement, CARICOM said “although the incident ended peacefully following contact at the highest level between military and political leaders on both sides, CARICOM notes with grave concern the tension caused as a result of the incident.

“The Caribbean Community restates the importance it places on respect for international law and the sanctity of treaties and deeply regrets any actions of the GAF which violate the sovereignty of Belize and attempt to change the status quo prior to the submission of the Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the Special Agreement ratified by both parties.”

The 15-member grouping, which includes Belize, added that it was reiterating “ its strong and unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belize and calls on the government of Guatemala to agree to Confidence Building Measures, in conjunction with the Organization of American States, to ensure peace and stability along the southern border of Belize with the Republic of Guatemala”.

Guatemala and Belize have had a long running border dispute with Guatemala claiming the whole or part of Belize since 1940.