On the auspicious occasion of the 223rd Anniversary of the Haitian Flag, His Excellency Benjamin Anani Quashie joined members of the Diplomatic Corps, Government Officials, and Friends of Haiti at a reception in Johannesburg on 18th May, 2026. Held at the University of Johannesburg School of Tourism, the reception commemorated the historic 1803 Congress of Arcahaie, when revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore the white stripe from the French tricolor, and seamstress Catherine Flon sewed the blue and red bands to create the first flag of an independent Haiti.
