Port-au-Prince, March 3, 2026.- Meeting in press conference this Tuesday, March 3rd at the El Rancho Hotel, the French-language Environment Action Group (FAFE) expressed its deep concern about the gold mining project carried by the Canadian company Unigold Inc. in the province of Dajabón, Dominican Republic. The organisation calls on the Haitian authorities to break the silence and defend the rights of border communities as well as threatened ecosystems.
At the outset, GAFE Executive Director, ing. David Tilus, recalled that the Candelones project envisages the use of substances deemed highly toxic, which could have irreversible effects on human health and the environment. According to them, the proximity of the site to the tributaries of the Massacre River and the Artibonite River poses a direct risk to water resources vital to the Haitian people.
Mr. Tipus also denounced the lack of official communication from the Haitian authorities, including the Ministry of Environment and the Bureau of Mines and Energy. They believe that the Haitian State should require that potentially affected communities be integrated as stakeholders in the terms of reference of the environmental and social impact assessment in preparation.
The FATF also called for technical support from the border communes concerned and for the opening of a formal binational dialogue between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The organisation calls for the invocation of mechanisms of international law to ensure the protection of the national ecological heritage and the fundamental rights of citizens.
In conclusion, Jacques Hervilus, member of the « Tet Kole ti Peyizan » Speaking at the conference, he said that they would remain mobilized and vigilant about the development of the dossier. He stressed the need for rapid and coordinated action by the Haitian authorities to prevent the environmental and social consequences of the project from becoming irreversible.
W.A.
