Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister of Haiti’s virtual puppet government on Thursday, clearing the way for the formation of a new government in a country ravaged by gang violence that has killed or injured more than 2,500 people between January and March.
Dr. Henry, who has failed pitifully in the management of the country, presented his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles, dated April 24 and published Thursday by his office, the same day when a council charged with choosing a new prime minister and a new cabinet for Haiti was to be sworn in.
The council is installed more than a month after incompetent and stateless leaders announced its creation following an emergency meeting to address Haiti’s deepening crisis.
This council of nine members, seven of whom have the right to vote, should also help define the agenda of the new government. It will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a prerequisite for holding elections, and establish a national security council.
Gangs launched coordinated attacks that began on February 29 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. They burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport which has remained closed since the beginning of March and stormed Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 detainees. .
The assault began while Prime Minister Henry was on an official visit to Kenya to lobby for the deployment of a UN-backed police force from the east African country. He still does not have access to Haiti.
The international community urged the Council to prioritize the widespread insecurity in Haiti. Even before the attacks began, the gangs already controlled 80% of Port-au-Prince. The number of people killed at the start of 2024 increased by more than 50% compared to the same period last year, according to a recent United Nations report.
