Dear Editor,

Once again, the question of what to do with the vervet monkeys on the island of St. Martin has become the buzz of the town. Cull, kill or sterilise? That was the question posed by the Nature Foundation in St. Maarten and the Resérve Naturelle National de Saint-Martin, which have conducted surveys, researched reproductive patterns, and studied cases in neighbouring islands and southern Africa.

According to these organisations, which are endowed by the governments of our island to manage our flora, fauna and surrounding waters, the invasive species is said to have been introduced to St. Martin centuries ago. They threaten our natural patrimony and there are three ways to deal with them, opting for the cull. In February of this year, Nature Foundation announced that 450 should be put down in 2023, because as is clearly indicated on their webpage, they are not allowed to set the invasive species back into to the ecosystem even after sterilisation.

For local farmers or fruit producers, or anyone who happens to have a soursop tree near a hilly slope on their property, the discussion has never died down and there is no season restricting the conversation on monkeys. Nevertheless, the issue becomes interesting around mango season, as one fruit-producing friend stated clearly, “Out of 1,000 harvestable mangos growing in my garden, I can only sell 200 since the monkeys bite the rest and throw them to the ground to rot.”

A new organisation enters the scene: Save the SXM Monkeys. On their Facebook page, one will see the aggressive doom banner stating Sint Maarten Kills Monkeys. Equipped with a website, the organisation maintains the identity of the “primate experts” anonymous – who you fuh? These fellows ended up barking up the wrong tree. You see, my farming friends decided to take matters into their own hands, because their livelihood depends on it, and then the know-better primate experts, who also seem to be newcomers, decided to start lecturing them. Lesson #1 – don’t ever talk down to a Soualigan, especially from a place of privilege. Shots have been fired.

The tense debate represents everything colonial about St. Martin, North and South, and I am not talking about the Dutch and French but more about the coloniality of doing and solving problems. We have a local government that gives out building permits allowing for the destruction of flora up on the hills to make way for irresponsible housing construction. The hungry monkeys, which also endanger native species, come down for food; food production is impacted, and our hard-working farmers suffer.

The administrators of our natural resources maintain insufficient communication with the community-at-large. Enters an organisation which defames country St. Maarten, aggressively criticising and slamming the farmers for taking matters into their own hands. Let these primate experts go to the Garden of Eden in Dutch Quarter to see how people are going to react to them. Stop the arrogance! Stop being evasive, look at the root causes of the problem and have compassion with those most affected. Stop being an evasive species, while protecting an invasive species.

Last Saturday night, I finally got to see the SXM band Orange Grove which gave a spectacular concert at Roxxy’s in Simpson Bay. In the middle of the performance, prior to playing the song “Rats”, lead singer Michael Maidwell gave a shout-out to all the local farmers by promoting their home-grown, organic products. To paraphrase, he said, “Yes, the monkeys are cute but they are getting in the way of our farmers trying to make a living. We need to support those who are producing our food without pesticides and chemicals; they are St. Martin.”

Maidwell, and I assume his crew as well, understand that you can’t come to the island with your preconceived ideas and impose solutions without consulting the community. At the end of the day, the well-being of our people and the health of our ecosystem should be at the heart of any intervention.

Dr. Antonio Carmona Báez

Dear Editor,

The inaugural Africa-Caribbean Community CARICOM Heads of Government Summit of September 7, 2021, gave rise to the designation of September 7 as “Africa-CARICOM Day”.

The foundation of this historic 2021 Heads of Government Summit had been laid back in February 2020 at the 31^st Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM held in Bridgetown, Barbados, when the CARICOM leaders accepted the offer of Kenya’s then-President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, to host the event.

Unfortunately, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the staging of the Summit for some time, and also determined that it would be a virtual Summit rather than a face-to-face one when it was eventually held in September 2021.

However, none of those factors could in any way detract from the historic nature of the convocation that was staged , for it was literally the very first time that the Heads of Government of Africa and the Caribbean Community were coming together in a specifically designed CARICOM/AU Summit.

It is useful to place this Summit within the context of African and Caribbean decolonisation and regional integration milestones. The September 7, 2021, Summit took place:

* 76 years after the seminal 5^th Pan-African Congress in Manchester, England, that brought together the nationalist leaders of colonial Africa and the Caribbean to conceive the critical plans and strategies for our decolonization;

* 58 years after the launch of Africa’s integration mechanism in the form of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) – later to become the African Union (AU) in the year 2000; and

* 56 years after the conceptualization of our own Caribbean integration mechanism in the form of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) – subsequently to evolve into the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 1973.

Finally, the leaders of Africa and the Caribbean were sitting down together; discussing their common history, concerns and objectives; and planning a bright future of collaboration and solidarity.

History was being made!

It is appropriate to record for posterity that this historic Summit was addressed by the following Heads of State/Government and leaders of delegations:

* H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya – the Chairperson of the Summit and the President-in-Office of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS);

* H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and immediate-former-Chairperson of the African Union (AU);

* H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and immediate-former-Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC);

* H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR);

* H.E. Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC);

* H.E. Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe;

* Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Chairperson of CARICOM;

* Dr. the Hon. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and immediate-former-Chairperson of CARICOM;

* Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and incoming Chairperson of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD);

* Hon. John Antonio Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize and incoming Chairperson of CARICOM;

* Dr. the Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chairperson of the CARICOM sub-committee on the Africa-Brazil Caribbean Diaspora (ABCD) Commission;

* H.E. Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali, President of the Republic of Guyana;

* Most Hon Andrew Michael Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica;

* Hon. Philip Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia;

* Hon Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica;

* H.E. Dr. Philip Mpango, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania; and

* H.E Patrick Rajoelina, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Madagascar (representing H.E. Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar and Chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa – COMESA).

But what was even more significant about the Summit was the very concrete ground-breaking initiatives and projects that were agreed to by the assembled Heads of Government of Africa and the Caribbean Community, and that were outlined in the communique issued at the conclusion of the Summit.

A sample of these undertakings is as follows:

1. Establish a joint AU/CARICOM electronic mass media platform to facilitate the flow of information, news and artistic programming between our two regions;

2. Conclude an agreement to abolish double taxation, establish a Multilateral Air Services Agreement and regular weekly direct flights between Africa and the Caribbean, and to review whether there was any need to continue to require visas for our citizens to travel to each other’s countries;

3. Establish an African-CARICOM public-private partnership (PPP) that would be dedicated to mobilizing financial resources and deploying them to implement critical cutting-edge infrastructure development projects;

4. Utilize the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the avenue for the flow of trade and investments across the two regions and make full use of the existing investment opportunities in health, tourism, creative industries, sports, culture and education for enhanced people-to-people connections;

5. Establish a Forum of African and Caribbean Territories and States (FACTS), that would be jointly coordinated by the AU and CARICOM Secretariats, and also establish an Africa-CARICOM Commission as a precursor to a wider “Africa/Brazil/Caribbean/Diaspora Commission”;

6. Take action to institutionalize the AU/CARICOM Partnership within six months , to adopt the relevant constitutive governance statutes at a second Summit in September 2022, and to also conclude and sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between CARICOM and the AU; and

7. Designate September 7 of every year as “Africa-CARICOM Day” and hold annual Africa-CARICOM Summits – virtual or in-person – every September 7.

The entirety of the decisions taken at the Summit were recorded in a communique that was issued upon conclusion of the event. The said communique may be accessed at

https://shridathramphalcentre.com/final-communique-from-the-africa-caricom-summit/.

As noted above, our African and Caribbean Heads of Government determined that there should be follow-up “AFRICA-CARICOM Summits” in every succeeding year. Unfortunately, this has not happened, and efforts are now currently underway to arrange for the staging of a Second AFRICA-CARICOM Summit.

However, the good news is that even though CARICOM and AU have not yet been able to stage a follow-up Summit since September 2021, the relationship between these two multi-lateral integration organizations continues to develop at a rapid pace.

Perhaps the most tangible evidence of that development is the presence and contributions of the African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank) in our Caribbean Community over the past two years. Indeed, that relationship was consummated on August 4, 2023, with the official opening of Afreximbank’s Caribbean Headquarters in Barbados.

There is also the fact that the Government of Kenya made office space available in Nairobi for the establishment of CARICOM diplomatic missions, and that this offer has been taken up and acted upon.

There have also been such encouraging developments as Barbados’ establishment of embassies in Ghana and Kenya, and the recent African Union-Economic Social and Cultural Council (AU-ECOSOCC) Reparations Study Tour to the Caribbean.

Furthermore, CARICOM – acting through a proclamation made by its Chairman on September 7, 2022 – honoured the commitment to officially recognize September 7 as “AFRICA-CARICOM Day”. Thus, this 2023 celebration/commemoration of “AFRICA-CARICOM Day” is our second such celebration/ commemoration.

The task that must now be undertaken by the CARICOM Secretariat, the African Union Commission, and all of the member states of both CARICOM and the AU is to design appropriate people-based annual commemorative activities for this special day.

Indeed, the annual “AFRICA-CARICOM Day” must be primarily used as a mechanism to bring the people of Africa and the Caribbean together!

It is expected that the celebration of this year’s “AFRICA-CARICOM Day” will feature such activities as:

* The making of official Africa-CARICOM Day statements by the Chairpersons of both CARICOM and the African Union (AU) and by the Heads of Government of the member states of CARICOM and the AU – to be broadcast and published in every AU and CARICOM nation on September 7, 2023;

* The staging of official AU/CARICOM flag-raising ceremonies at the Government Headquarters of all AU and CARICOM member states on September 7, 2023; and

* The undertaking of popular national reflections on outstanding aspects of our nations’ engagement with Africa/the Caribbean – as the case may be – on September 7, 2023.

This is just the beginning of what must become a massive annual Pan-African Celebration/commemoration. Indeed, let us all pledge to work together to build upon the wonderful foundation that was established on September 7, 2021, and to bring all of the visionary Pan-African initiatives and projects to fruition.

And let us now prepare ourselves to celebrate this year’s “AFRICA-CARICOM Day” in a truly meaningful and impactful manner.

David Comissiong

Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM

Dear Editor,

Thank you for your consideration in publishing this letter. I want to express my deep concern about what seems to be the rampant and indiscriminate cutting down of trees on our island. As an avid nature enthusiast, I understand and appreciate the value that trees provide – from adding beauty and providing shade, to cleaning our air and preventing soil erosion. Trees are a vital part of our ecosystem.

However, I have noticed far too many examples lately of trees being chopped down without care or thought. Oftentimes it appears to be happening simply for the sake of opening up space or it seems just to offer a tree trimming job. The cutting seems to be done without any ecological considerations. Not only does this look unsightly, but it is detrimental to the environment. Cutting down trees indiscriminately leads to a hotter surface space, an unsightly environment, and a loss of biodiversity.

According to some global research, a single mature tree can absorb over 50 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Scaled up, this means our island’s tree cover is helping to remove harmful greenhouse gas from the atmosphere each year through natural processes. The data shows that protecting mature indigenous trees needs to be considered if we want to maintain a healthy, sustainable environment for future generations.

We must recognize that a healthy collection of indigenous trees is a maintained one. Thoughtful pruning by knowledgeable professionals can keep trees healthy while also keeping sidewalks accessible, reducing possible damage to property and minimizing safety issues. It will also beautify our island. Take for instance the relatively well-maintained short section of hedges on Pondfill Road, it looks beautiful. But the rampant, haphazard slashing down of trees serves no one's interests in the long run.

I remember with some degree of regret that a few years ago a popular supermarket on the way to Point Blanche unceremoniously chopped down a row of mature trees so that people could see the building and signage. An uncivilized culture that does not value its trees is doomed to become less sustainable over time.

I urge our government officials and citizens to take a more thoughtful approach when it comes to our trees. I implore our government officials and fellow citizens to take immediate and meaningful steps to protect our island’s tree cover. Let’s establish and enforce responsible tree management regulations that prioritize the health and longevity of our indigenous trees.

We must hire professional arborists to selectively prune trees where needed, not butcher them indiscriminately. I call on all of us who care about our island’s future to respect nature, including our magnificent trees. If we continue on our current path of unchecked tree-cutting, we will live to regret the environmental damage and loss of beauty. But if we act now to protect and properly care for our trees, we can maintain a robust, healthy collection of indigenous trees for generations to come.

Sincerely,

An observant tree enthusiast

 

Wow! Oh my god! Justice Minister Honourable Ann Richardson, why do citizens of St. Maarten have to stay almost two years to get a police report?

Cuthbert Bannis