Since the beginning of the month, the Dominican Republic’s government has complained about Haiti’s plans to build a canal on the shared Massacre River, saying it violates several border treaties between the two nations, which share the island of Hispaniola.

It announced the initial border closure on Thursday in response to the canal project, an initiative by private developers designed to provide irrigation for Haitian farmers.

“The measures will be in force until we achieve the definitive stoppage of the canal under construction,” Abinader said in a televised address, referencing the closure of its “land, air, and sea border” with Haiti, and the reinforcement of its military presence along its frontiers.

The diplomatic crisis comes on top of existing tensions between the Caribbean neighbours over immigration from Haiti, one of the world’s poorest nations, to the richer Dominican Republic.

“The Republic of Haiti can make sovereign decisions on the exploitation of its natural resources,” the Haitian government said after the initial announcement of the border closure.

As part of the canal dispute, the Dominican government also suspended visas for Haitians. Ahead of the full border closure, it closed the Dajabon crossing – one of the most important, where a cross-frontier market takes place twice a week.

Dominican authorities are building a 160km concrete wall along the 380km border with Haiti in an effort to keep out undocumented migrants.