Haitian Prime Minister Announces He’s Leaving Role

(RepublicanView.org) – Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has announced his resignation and will leave office as soon as a credible replacement is arranged. Henry was under growing pressure to stand down as violence spiraled out of control in the Caribbean nation, and the capital city, Port-au-Prince, came under the control of violent gangs demanding his departure from power.

Henry announced his resignation just hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Caribbean leaders in Jamaica to discuss the crisis. The meeting ended with a plan to establish a transition council – including business, civic, and religious leaders – tasked with appointing a new Prime Minister until elections can be held. Henry is currently staying in Puerto Rico for his own safety, having flown to Africa to ask for UN assistance to quell the disorder.

The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) met in Jamaica to plan the way forward as thousands fled their homes and around 80% of the capital city came under gang control. Haiti’s government declared a state of emergency on March 3 after prison breaks resulted in the escape of almost 4,000 convicts, and police stations were attacked and officers murdered.

America is contributing $300 million to a Kenyan-led security mission, plus $33 million to prevent the escalation of an emerging humanitarian crisis. However, Kenya said it is placing the mission on hold until a new political administration is in place. Kenya’s principal secretary for foreign affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, said that without a transitional government, “There is no anchor on which a police deployment can rest.”

The US State Department has warned Americans not to travel to Haiti and airlifted its embassy staff to safety. Meanwhile, the United Nations warned that Haiti is on the brink of a “hunger crisis.” The UN said water and food provision is “stretched to the limit” and called for an end to the violence and for all parties to act in a responsible manner. It furthermore claims that 362,000 people are displaced.