Following weeks of turmoil in the Caribbean nation due to gang attacks on government buildings, Ariel Henry, the embattled leader of Haiti, has tendered his resignation.
In a speech delivered late on Monday, March 11, Haitian Prime Minister Henry stated that his government would step down following the formation of a transitional committee and that “Haiti needs peace.” Stability is needed in Haiti.
“My government will leave immediately after the inauguration of the council. We will be a caretaker government until they name a prime minister and a new cabinet,” Henry said in a video address.
Henry’s adviser Jean Junior Joseph earlier said that Henry would remain in his role until the formation of a new interim government.
CARICOM (the Caribbean Community and Common Market) on Monday said it had agreed to set up a transitional council to lay the foundations for elections in Haiti following a meeting of the regional bloc in Jamaica.
“We are pleased to announce the commitment to transitional governance arrangement which paves the way for a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance and action plan for near-term security and the road to free and fair elections. It further seeks to assure that Haiti will be governed by the rule of law,” said Guyana leader and CARICOM Chairman Irfaan Ali in a news conference alongside other Caribbean leaders.
At the height of the violence last week, Henry was in Kenya to sign an agreement to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti to restore the security situation knowing fully well his government had lost control.
Gangs now control 80% of Haiti’s capital, according to United Nations estimates, and continue to fight for the rest. While Henry was out of the country, gangs laid siege to the country’s main airport to prevent his return.
Until now, the United States has been pressuring Henry to secure a political settlement.
Henry, who came to power unelected in 2021 following the assassination of Haiti’s then-president, failed to hold elections last year, saying the country’s insecurity would compromise the vote.
Haiti’s government declared a state of emergency on Sunday after armed groups attacked the country’s largest prison in Port-au-Prince, killing and injuring police and prison staff and allowing some 3,500 inmates to escape.
In order to get ready for a multinational security mission and ultimately for elections, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Wednesday that while the US was not asking Henry to step down, it was “urging him to expedite the transition to an empowered and inclusive governance structure.”
