BRUSSELS, Belgium (CU)_A Belgian farmer nearly prompted a border war with neighbouring France, when he inadvertently shifted one of the stones marking the territorial divide so that his tractor could move easily.
The move was brought to light by a local history enthusiast who was walking along the forest and noticed the stone had been moved, resulting in the Belgian village of Erquelinnes making a territorial gain of about 2m. In turn, the French town of Bousignies-sur-Roc, which lies along the 390-mile border with Belgium, shed more than a few inches.
“I was happy, my town was bigger,” David Lavaux, mayor of the Belgian village of Erquelinnes, said. “But the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc didn’t agree.”
Although, the incident could have caused international uproar, instead, it was met with smiles from both countries. “We should be able to avoid a new border war,” the amused mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc, Aurélie Welonek, noted.
The border between France and Belgium, which has been largely stable for 200 years, was formally established under the Treaty of Kortrijk, and the stone in question dates back to 1819, when the modern-day boundaries were first marked out.
Authorities in Belgium are expected to contact the farmer and request him to move the stone back to its original location. If he fails to comply, the Belgian foreign ministry may have to summon the Franco-Belgian border commission, while the farmer may face criminal charges.
“If he shows good will, he won’t have a problem, we will settle this issue amicably,” Lavaux noted.
