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Scary Showdown In The Sarstoon; GAF Aggressed BDF
posted (March 14, 2016)
For the last 2 weeks, since the second showdown between the Guatemalan Military and the Belize Territorial Volunteers, the Sarstoon River has been the topic of national discussion. Well, this weekend, it became the subject of emergency meetings between the BDF and high ranking Belize Government officials. That's after the BDF reported that the Guat. Arm Forces behaved in "an extreme hostile and threatening manner" late Saturday evening.

A press release was sent out by the Government yesterday, confirming that the incident did take place at the Joint Forces Forward Operating Base, which the government is currently constructing. As viewers will remember, there are BDF soldiers who are stationed there to provide security for the contractors building the facility.

GOB's statement says, quote, "The GAF approached the FOB, though they never actually attempted to come on to our land, and behaved in an extremely hostile and threatening manner, insisting that our troops should not be at the Sarstoon. The Belize Forces stood their ground and after some time the GAF withdrew. In the intervening period the BDF Commander General Jones had spoken to an opposite number in Guatemala and Prime Minister Dean Barrow had sent a message to President Jimmy Morales." End quote

The release continues, "Despite the ultimately peaceful end to the standoff it is clear that tension with Guatemala over the Sarstoon and Belize's insistence on its sovereignty rights... is at an all time high."

That's exactly what the BTV has been saying, that the Guatemalans have changed to a more aggressive approach in the Sarstoon. This time around, however, the Government has dispatched a delegation of diplomats to Washington DC to engage in high level meetings with their Guatemalan Counterparts. The Prime Minister personally briefed Opposition Leader John Briceno, who sent Former PUP Foreign Minister Assad Shoman as his representative in these meeting in Washington.

The OAS will be mediating those talks, and in the meantime, the Government has informed key members of the international community, including the US and the UK. Belize is taking this incident very seriously, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry is preparing a "strongly worded protest note" to be sent to Guatemala in response.

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