Dominican Republic to shut Haiti border from Friday morning

"We will not allow this." Abinader added that the Dominican Republic is planning the construction of two dams which "without the treaty could significantly affect them." Haitians were seen rushing to the border on Wednesday, when Haiti's foreign ministry said it was meeting Dominican representatives for talks.

The Dominican Republic will shut its entire border with neighboring Haiti from 6 a.m. (1000 GMT) on Friday, President Luis Abinader told reporters, amid a conflict over the construction of a water channel from a shared river.

The Dominican Republic has a strained relationship with its neighbor and has tightened its border security, deporting tens of thousands of Haitians fleeing gang warfare in their country. The Dominican Republic, which first threatened shutting the border last week, has argued construction works off the River Massacre are a violation of the 1929 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Arbitration.

"Unfortunately they left us no alternative but to take drastic measures," Abinader said in a press conference. "We will not allow this." Abinader added that the Dominican Republic is planning the construction of two dams which "without the treaty could significantly affect them."

Haitians were seen rushing to the border on Wednesday, when Haiti's foreign ministry said it was meeting Dominican representatives for talks. Another meeting was scheduled for Thursday morning in the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the government delivered a further 20 armored vehicles to a military camp on the border.

The U.S. Embassy, which has called on its citizens to leave Haiti, said in its website that those planning to leave for the Dominican Republic would need to make other arrangements.