Belize Formally Protests Guatemalan “Flotilla” in Sarstoon
Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal diplomatic protest after “approximately eighteen (18) Guatemalan vessels, comprising both military and civilian craft, were present in Belizean waters within the immediate vicinity of” Sarstoon Island.
As we reported, on Thursday, September 10th, the Belize Territorial Volunteers, escorted by the Belize Defence Force and Belize Coast Guard, departed Punta Gorda for their annual journey around the island.
The Ministry says the Guatemalan vessels present were operating within Belizean waters in the immediate vicinity of Sarstoon Island.
The Ministry is drawing a firm legal line on the matter, stating that the Sarstoon River forms part of the international boundary between Belize and Guatemala under the 1859 Boundary Treaty between Great Britain and Guatemala, with the boundary running along the river’s mid-channel. According to the statement, Sarstoon Island lies within Belizean sovereign territory, and the treaty guarantees that the river’s channels remain equally open to vessels from both countries.
“Guatemala’s deployment of a disproportionate flotilla in Belizean waters in violation of Belize’s sovereignty and to obstruct the lawful passage of unarmed Belizean nationals is inconsistent with these obligations. Furthermore, the presence of Guatemalan civilians within the military deployment represents an unwelcome escalation in an already sensitive border area.”
In response, the Ministry says it has dispatched a Note Verbale to Guatemala’s Ministry of External Affairs protesting the incident in the strongest terms and is formally notifying Belize’s international partners and the Organization of American States about the incident and its implications for regional stability.
The Ministry says it will also seek a direct explanation from Guatemala’s Ambassador to Belize regarding what it describes as the Guatemalan military’s aggressive conduct and is pursuing a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister John Briceño and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo on the margins of next week’s UN General Assembly.
Despite the incident, Belize says it remains fully committed to resolving the underlying territorial dispute through the International Court of Justice and is calling on Guatemala to avoid actions on the ground that could prejudge the Court’s eventual ruling or put civilians and security personnel at unnecessary risk.
“Belize reaffirms its full confidence in the International Court of Justice process as the appropriate mechanism for the final resolution of Guatemala’s territorial, insular, and maritime claim and calls on the Government of Guatemala to refrain from actions on the ground that prejudice the outcome of that process or place civilians and security personnel at unnecessary risk.”
The Ministry says it has also instructed the Office of the Agent to consult Belize’s international legal team to ensure the incident, along with any similar future acts, is formally raised during upcoming hearings before the Court.
Fourteen Guatemalan Vessels Confront Belizean Sarstoon Expedition