Statement from Hon. Shirley Botchwey, Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Following reports of an incident on the Sarstoon River on 10 September 2026, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Botchwey, said:
"I am seriously concerned about reports of an incident on the Sarstoon River on 10 September 2026, which has heightened tensions along the Belize–Guatemala border.
At their meeting in Samoa in 2024, Commonwealth Heads of Government expressed unanimous and strong support for the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning Guatemala's territorial, insular and maritime claim against Belize. Heads condemned illegal encroachments and urged Guatemala to respect and implement the existing confidence-building measures.
I call on Guatemala to refrain from any action that might aggravate the dispute before the Court, to respect fully the confidence-building measures agreed between the parties, and to avoid conduct that places lives at risk or heightens tensions in a sensitive border area.
The Commonwealth firmly supports the ICJ process as the pathway to a final and binding resolution, and encourages the early establishment of the cooperation mechanism for the Sarstoon River and maritime areas with the support of the Organization of American States.
"The Commonwealth stands with Belize, a valued member of our family of nations, and continues to affirm its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security."
