Dominican Republic President orders closure of Haiti border in river dispute

President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic has issued an order to close down the nation’s border with neighbouring Haiti. The border closure is ready to take impact on Friday, September 15, at 6am native time, including to the escalating tensions between the 2 nations.

On Wednesday, Haiti’s authorities revealed it was in talks with Dominican officers to deal with a latest menace made by President Abinader.

A quick assertion from Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs supplied scant particulars however conveyed the shared mission of each nations to discover a “fair and definitive” resolution to their disagreements, centred round the usage of the Massacre River, which varieties the pure border between the 2 nations on the island of Hispaniola.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the Dominican Republic confirmed the assembly had taken place and stated it’s hoped an answer may be reached within the dispute.

The already-strained relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic took an extra hit on Monday when President Abinader introduced a suspension of visa issuance to Haitians.

He additionally issued a stark warning that every one land, air, and sea visitors might come to a grinding halt if the canal subject remained unresolved by Thursday.

The disputed canal mission, on Haitian soil, has raised questions concerning the authorisation for its excavation.

The dispute had beforehand compelled President Abinader to shut the border close to the northern city of Dajabon, a significant financial lifeline for Haitians who depend on cross-border commerce.

Dominican officers declare that the canal’s building might divert water from the Massacre River, probably inflicting hurt to native farmers and the setting.

The river’s title is rooted in a historic battle between French and Spanish colonisers through the 18th century.