Grensekonflikt

Under bloggingen har jeg nok forsømt meg en god del siden jeg for det meste har tatt for meg hverdagens små hendelser. Storpolitikken har blitt liggende, men et hint om dette oppslaget i The Economist gir meg mulighet til å nevne de to store sakene som dominerer Nicaragua for tiden. Den ene store saken gjelder gjenvalg av president Ortega. Han har snart sittet de to periodene som grunnloven tillater, dermed er gjenvalg umulig. Det siste året har avisene vært fulle av reportasjer om anstrengelsene hans for å bli valgt for en tredje periode. Manøvreringene rundt dette har vært bemerkelsesverdige, og for tiden ser det ut til at han og sandinistene kanskje vil lykkes. En av grunnene til at motstanderne har problemer med å finne en felles kandidat.
Den andre store saken, som har pågått i lang tid (vi snakker her om avtaler underskrevet så langt tilbake som 1858), gjelder råderetten over Rio San Juan, elva som danner grensen mellom Nicaragua og Costa Rica. Vannet tilhører Nicaragua, men costaricanerne har rett til å navigere på elva. En av årsakene til disputten skal være planer om å bygge en ny kanal fra Atlanterhavet til Stillehavet, en plan som eventuelt skal gjennomføres med støtte fra Venezuela og Iran. Dette dukker opp som en nyhet på blant annet www.aolnews.com.  BBC omtalte kanalplanene i 2006 og skrev at den nye kanalen ville forkorte transportrutene med flere hundre kilometer og at langt større skip enn dem som passerer Panama-kanalen ville kunne ta denne snarveien fra Atlanterhavet til Stillehavet.

Den internasjonale domstolen i Haag har behandlet den aktuelle disputten, og 13. juli i fjor kom denne kjennelsen (som er hentet fra Wikipedia). Det kan jo være litt interessant å se detaljnivået i slike kjennelser, så jeg legger ut alt her.

(1) As regards Costa Rica’s navigational rights on the San Juan river under the 1858 Treaty, in that part where navigation is common, the court finds: that Costa Rica has the right of free navigation on the San Juan river for purposes of commerce including the transport of passengers and the transport of tourists. That persons travelling on the San Juan river on board Costa Rican vessels exercising Costa Rica’s right of free navigation are not required to obtain Nicaraguan visas or to purchase tourist cards. That the inhabitants of the Costa Rican bank of the San Juan river have the right to navigate on the river between the riparian communities for the purposes of the essential needs of everyday life which require expeditious transportation. That Costa Rica has the right of navigation on the San Juan river with official vessels used solely, in specific situations, to provide essential services for the inhabitants of the riparian areas where expeditious transportation is a condition for meeting the inhabitants’ requirements. That Costa Rica does not have the right of navigation on the San Juan river with vessels carrying out police functions. That Costa Rica does not have the right of navigation on the San Juan river for thepurposes of the exchange of personnel of the police border posts along the right bank of the river and of the re-supply of these posts, with official equipment, including service arms and ammunition.

(2) As regards Nicaragua’s right to regulate navigation on the San Juan river, in that part where navigation is common, the court finds that Nicaragua has the right to require Costa Rican vessels and their passengers to stop at the first and last Nicaraguan post on their route along the San Juan river; That Nicaragua has the right to require persons travelling on the San Juan river to carry a passport or an identity document; that Nicaragua has the right to issue departure clearance certificates to Costa Rican vessels exercising Costa Rica’s right of free navigation but does not have the right to request the payment of a charge for the issuance of such certificates; that Nicaragua has the right to impose timetables for navigation on vessels navigating on the San Juan river; that Nicaragua has the right to require Costa Rican vessels fitted with masts or turrets to display the Nicaraguan flag;

(3) As regards subsistence fishing, the court Finds that fishing by the inhabitants of the Costa Rican bank of the San Juan river for subsistence purposes from that bank is to be respected by Nicaragua as a customary right;

(4) As regards Nicaragua’s compliance with its international obligations under the 1858 Treaty, the court finds that Nicaragua is not acting in accordance with its obligations under the 1858 Treaty when it requires persons travelling on the San Juan river on board Costa Rican vessels exercising Costa Rica’s right of free navigation to obtain Nicaraguan visas; when it requires persons travelling on the San Juan river on board Costa Rican vessels exercising Costa Rica’s right of free navigation to purchase Nicaraguan tourist cards; and when it requires the operators of vessels exercising Costa Rica’s right of free navigation to pay charges for departure clearance certificates

Det er mer bakgrunnsinformasjon her (med lenker videre)