Haiti has been gripped by spiralling violence in recent weeks, with armed gangs seizing control and screaming for Henry’s removal.
Haiti’s Head of Government and Prime Minister, Ariel Henry has stepped down from his position as the country descends into chaos.
Henry announced his resignation on Monday following an emergency meeting of regional nations.
Haiti has been gripped by spiralling violence in recent weeks, with armed gangs seizing control and screaming for Henry’s removal.
Following the summit in Jamaica, where Caribbean states urged a speedy transition, Henry, who has led Haiti unelected since the death of its former president in 2021, delivered a video speech.
“The government that I am leading will resign immediately after the installation of [a transition] council. I’m asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to come back as fast as possible,” the Prime Minster was quoted by Aljazeera.
The former Haitian leader is currently stranded in the US territory of Puerto Rico, unable to
return home due to gang threats. A senior US official said he was free to stay or travel overseas, but security in Haiti needed to improve before he felt safe returning home.
The gang alliance, commanded by Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, went on the rampage after Henry left the country in late February, hoping to build support for a Kenya-led international police intervention that his government had said was required to restore order and allow elections to be held.
The former Haitian leader is currently stranded on the US territory of Puerto Rico, unable to return home due to gang threats. A senior US official stated that he was free to stay or travel abroad, but security in Haiti needed to improve before he felt secure returning home.
The gang alliance, led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, went on the rampage when Henry departed the country in late February, seeking to rally support for a Kenya-led international police intervention, which his government had stated was necessary to restore order and allow elections to take place.
Henry, who is widely regarded as corrupt in Haiti, did not attend the conference, which was held behind closed doors. The Associated Press reported that a spokeswoman for Henry’s office did not return calls seeking comment.
