Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2016. 10:19 a.m. CST.
By BBN Staff: Today, the Ministry of Defense issued a press release informing that the Belize Defense Force (BDF) received a report of an incident that occurred last Thursday, November 10, in which the Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) was interrupted by Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) while operating in the Sarstoon River.
In its report, SATIIM said that on Thursday about 7:30 a.m., SATIIM personnel along with village leaders of Crique Sarco and Graham Creek carried out a routine community forest patrol along the Sarstoon River.
The patrol was organized by SATIIM to monitor deforestation and illegal activities in Southern Belize.
The release states: “The Belize Forward Operating Base (FOB) reported that around 7:30 a.m. the vessel docked at the FOB and that SATIIM would be conducting a routine patrol. The FOB reported that the vessel then proceeded to the Sarstoon River through the northern channel.”
At about 2:30 p.m. on that same day, the SATIIM vessel returned and reported to the FOB that a GAF patrol vessel had stopped them as they were traversing the Sarstoon.
“Belizean authorities are following up with Guatemalan counterparts to get clarification on this recent incident in the Sarstoon,” the release ends.
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