Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has agreed to resign following weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence in the disturbed Caribbean nation.
This comes after regional leaders met in Jamaica on Monday to discuss a potential power transition in Haiti. At the moment, Mr Henry is holed up in Puerto Rico after being prevented by armed gangs from returning home.
In a video address announcing his resignation, Mr Henry urged Haitians to remain calm.
“The government I am leading will resign immediately after the installation of [a transition] council. I want to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity I have been granted. I’m asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to come back as fast as possible,” he said.
Mr Henry, who had led the country supposedly on an interim basis since July 2021 following former President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, had repeatedly postponed elections, saying security must be restored first.
Many Haitians had questioned him governing the country for this long without an elected president.
Heavily armed gangs have tightened their grip on the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince and attacked the main prison to help thousands of inmates escape. They also demanded the resignation of the unelected prime minister.
The capital Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region are under a month-long state of emergency, while a curfew has been extended.
Yesterday, Interior CS Kindiki Kithure explained that Kenyan police were on a pre-deployment status, preparing to level for Haiti where they are poised to lead a restoration mission.
“Kenyan police officers will be just part of a multinational security mission in Haiti. Kenya is the lead nation but other countries have pledged to contribute troops and this came from the United Nations Security Council,” he said.
Kindiki noted that although the deployment had been impeded by the courts, the governments of Kenya and Haiti had reached an agreement.