Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agrees to resign, bowing to international pressure

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry introduced early Tuesday that he would resign as soon as a transitional presidential council is created, capitulating to worldwide strain that seeks to avoid wasting the nation overwhelmed by violent gangs that some specialists say have unleashed a low-scale civil warfare.

Henry made the announcement hours after officers together with Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Jamaica to urgently focus on an answer to halt Haiti’s spiraling disaster.

“The federal government that I’m main will resign instantly after the set up of (a transition) council,” Henry mentioned in a video handle quoted by the Reuters information company. “I need to thank the Haitian individuals for the chance I had been granted.”

“I am asking all Haitians to stay calm and do every thing they’ll for peace and stability to come back again as quick as doable,” he added. 

Henry has been unable to enter Haiti as a result of the violence closed its most important worldwide airports. He arrived in Puerto Rico every week in the past after being barred from touchdown within the Dominican Republic, the place officers mentioned he lacked a required flight plan. Dominican officers additionally closed their nation’s airspace to flights to and from Haiti.

A U.S. official informed Agence France-Presse Henry is welcome to remain in Puerto Rico for now.

It wasn’t instantly clear who precisely would lead Haiti out of the disaster wherein closely armed gangs have burned police stations, attacked the principle airport and raided two of the nation’s greatest prisons. The raids resulted within the launch of greater than 4,000 inmates.

Scores of individuals have been killed, and greater than 15,000 are homeless after fleeing neighborhoods raided by gangs. Meals and water are dwindling as stands and shops promoting to impoverished Haitians run out of products. The principle port within the capital of Port-au-Prince stays closed, stranding dozens of containers with vital provides.

Caribbean leaders mentioned late Monday that they “acknowledge the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry” as soon as a transitional presidential council is created and an interim premier named.

The announcement was made by Guyana President Irfaan Ali, who held an pressing assembly earlier Monday in Jamaica with officers together with Blinken and members of Caricom, a regional commerce bloc. They met behind closed doorways for a number of hours to debate halt Haiti’s spiraling violence.

Earlier than sharing particulars of the proposed transitional council, Ali mentioned, “I need to pause and thank Prime Minister Henry for his service to Haiti.”

Henry served the longest single time period as prime minister since Haiti’s 1987 structure was accepted, a shocking feat for a politically unstable nation with a relentless turnover of premiers.

Earlier Monday, Blinken introduced a further $100 million to finance the deployment of a multinational drive to Haiti. Blinken additionally introduced one other $33 million in humanitarian support and the creation of a joint proposal agreed on by Caribbean leaders and “all the Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition” and create a “presidential school.”

He mentioned the school would take “concrete steps” he did not establish to satisfy the wants of Haitian individuals and allow the pending deployment of the multinational drive to be led by Kenya. Blinken additionally famous that america Division of Protection doubled its assist for the mission, having beforehand put aside $100 million.

The joint proposal has the backing of Caricom.

“I feel we are able to all agree: Haiti is on the point of catastrophe,” mentioned Ali. “We should take fast and decisive motion.”

Ali mentioned he’s “very assured that now we have discovered commonality” to assist what he described as a Haitian-led and -owned answer.

In the meantime, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness mentioned the assembly was a piece in progress.

“It’s clear that Haiti is now at a tipping level,” he mentioned. “We’re deeply distressed that it’s already too late for too many who’ve misplaced far an excessive amount of by the hands of prison gangs.”

Whereas leaders met behind closed doorways, Jimmy Chérizier, thought-about Haiti’s strongest gang chief, informed reporters that if the worldwide group continues down the present highway “it will plunge Haiti into additional chaos.”

“We Haitians should determine who’s going to be the pinnacle of the nation and what mannequin of presidency we wish,” mentioned Chérizier, a former elite police officer often known as “Barbecue” who leads a gang federation often known as G9 Household and Allies. “We’re additionally going to determine get Haiti out of the distress it is in now.”

The assembly in Jamaica was organized by Caricom, which for months has pressed for a transitional authorities in Haiti whereas protests within the nation have demanded Henry’s resignation.

“The worldwide group should work along with Haitians in direction of a peaceable political transition,” U.S. Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols wrote on social media.

Late Monday, the Haitian authorities introduced it was extending a nighttime curfew till March 14 in an try to forestall additional assaults.

Henry has been an unelected chief who took energy simply earlier than Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, AFP factors out, including that Haiti has no president or parliament and hasn’t held an election since 2016.

Extra from CBS Information