Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned, announcing a regional leader

Published on: 03/12/2024 – 05:14Modified: 03/12/2024 – 05:18

2 minutes

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, challenged and faced with a wave of gang violence in his country, has agreed to resign on Monday March 11, the president of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) announced.

“We note the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry,” Guyana and CARICOM President Mohamed Irfan Ali said at a press conference after a meeting in Jamaica on the crisis in Haiti. He said he was happy to “announce a Transitional Governance Agreement paving the way for a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance, a short-term security action plan and free and fair elections”.

Caribbean countries met urgently on Monday in Jamaica, at the initiative of CARICOM, with UN representatives and representatives from several countries, including France and the United States, to try to move forward on a solution in Haiti.

Stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented from returning to Port-au-Prince, Ariel Henry spoke remotely to CARICOM members during the meeting. Without a president or parliament — the last head of state, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in 2021 — Haiti has not held elections since 2016. Ariel Henry, appointed by Jovenel Moise, should leave office at the beginning of February. In early March, he signed an agreement in Nairobi to allow Kenyan police officers to be sent to Haiti and has since sought his return to the country.

Port-au-Prince has continued to descend into gang-related violence in recent days, as has a segment of the population demanding the prime minister’s resignation. The capital is the scene of clashes between the police and armed gangs, who attack strategic locations such as the presidential palace, police stations and jails.

with AFP