Massacre River - Haiti Observer Blog

Ouanaminthe Haiti is located in Northeastern Haiti and is home to about 100,000 people. Within it lays the Massacre River or Dajabon River which provides a border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The river is named for an incident that took place in 1728 in which 30 French Buccaneers were killed by Spanish settlers.
There are several elementary schools scattered throughout Ouanaminthe and ten secondary schools including a public school and a law school. Majority of the schools belong to churches. They support kindergarten, primary, and secondary. Students who have reached seventh grade typically move to larger areas with better educational opportunities.

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Río Massacre, or, as it's known in English, the Massacre River, flows along the border separating the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola. Also known by the name the Dajabon River, this 55 km river gets its source from Cordillera Central in the Pic de Gallo with an altitude of 1205 meters. It crosses through Haiti and the Dominican Republic, through the Department of the East, with its main tributaries being, on the left bank, the River Capolitte and the River Gens de Nantes.

The waterway forms the northern route of the border between the two countries after leaving its source. It then runs through Haiti along the border into the North-East Department, before emptying into the Caribbean Sea to the west of Pepillo Salcedo, a city in the Dominican Republic.

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The process of Identifying and classifying Haitian-Dominican or any Dominican with Haitian origin has began. Within the next 30 Days, this Identification is to take place.

"Mezanmi Nin pot Dominikin Ki Gin Tit Tankou: Ti Pye, Mezadie, Petit Frere, ....Pap Citwayen Peyi Sa Anko"

The Dominican Government announced yesterday (Wednesday, October 23, 2013) that they will comply with the Constitutional Court ruling which outlines a foreigner's pathway to Dominican citizenship

This position of the Dominican government to follow the Court ruling came after a meeting by president Danilo Medina who has noted the full respect of the independence of the branches of government and constitutional powers. In the Dominican Republic

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Stenio Vincent was the 30th President of Haiti, from 1930-1941. Born of mixed-race parentage, he earned his law-school degree by his 18th birthday. He rose to prominence in the leadership role in the Chamber of Deputies before running for the presidency. As part of his political platform, he voiced extreme disapproval of the U.S. occupation of Haiti. Vincent won the National Assembly majority vote and assumed office in October 1930.

By 1934, after U.S. military forces pulled out, Stenio Vincent began oppressing opposition leaders, spying on and incarcerating them. Now a loyal supporter of U.S. democracy, he became signatory on a trade agreement with them. In 1935, he won the popular vote, keeping him in office until 1941.

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Ouanaminthe is one of the largest cityships situated within the Nord-Est Department. It has a population numbering 100,000, 10% of whom live in the metropolitan area. Located close to the Dominican Republic border, the Ouanaminthe people cross over via the Massacre River to peddle their wares twice weekly at the Dajabón market.

Ouanaminthe has a well-developed education system. It follows the Haitian model, beginning with Kindergarten, advancing to Primary, then Secondary, and finally University level. Private schools are numerous and church-sponsored. As part of the effort to make education accessible to all residents in Ouanaminthe, the Faith and Joy non-government organization, funded by the Jesuit Refugee Service, is building several new primary schools.

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