Unrest in the country

Haiti’s head of government Ariel Henry resigns

In view of the escalating gang violence in Haiti, head of government Ariel Henry resigns.

(Bild: AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, Valerie Baeriswyl / AFP)

Head of government Ariel Henry resigns in the face of escalating gang violence in Haiti. There is an agreement for a transitional government and a "peaceful transfer of power".

Guyana's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, chairman of the Caribbean Caricom alliance of states, said this at a meeting in Jamaica on Monday. There is an agreement for a transitional government and a "peaceful transfer of power", Ali continued. The ultimate goal was "free and fair elections".

Violence escalates
The violence in Haiti escalated at the end of February during Henry's trip abroad in Kenya. Armed gangs in the country attacked police stations and freed thousands of prisoners from prisons; they also attacked the presidential palace.

Ariel Henry

(Bild: AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn, File)

The gangs demanded the resignation of Henry, who has been in power since 2021 and should have stepped down as prime minister at the beginning of February. Henry had instead reached an agreement with the opposition at the end of February to govern together until new elections are held.

No more elections since 2016
The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 plunged the Caribbean state, which was already characterized by crime, political instability and great poverty, into an even deeper crisis. Gangs now control large parts of the country and the number of murders has more than doubled in the past year. There have been no elections in Haiti since 2016.

The violence of the brutal gangs, which according to the UN already control around 80 percent of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, has escalated since the end of February. Among other things, bandits have attacked police stations and airports and freed more than 4,500 prisoners from prisons.

(Bild: AFP)

USA pledges 133 million dollars
The USA has increased its financial commitment for a multinational security mission in the crisis state of Haiti to 133 million dollars. The escalating gang violence is creating an "untenable situation" in Haiti, said US Secretary of State Blinken. "We all know that urgent action is needed at both the political and security levels."