SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC) — The military in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, has stepped up its presence along the Haitian border as protests continue to grip the French-speaking Caribbean Community country.

According to sources in the military, following the scarcity of fuel across Haiti, the military agencies of the Dominican Republic on Sunday stepped up their presence at gas stations on the Haitian border.

The steps taken are aimed at preventing the transfer of fuel to the neighbouring country and will be extended for as long as necessary.

“These measures are aimed at preventing the smuggling of fuel at petrol stations on the border of the country, in addition to ensuring strict control of vehicles moving in this area to avoid illegal transportation of fuel,” the military official noted.

Since the beginning of fuel supply problems in Haiti, aggravated by socio-political unrest for more than 10 days, the Dominican refinery, Refidomsa PDV, has strengthened its controls of shipping of fuels on its territory.

This is due to the abnormal demand for border service stations, resulting from the fuel shortage in Haiti, particularly in the north, in recent weeks.