Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has made the decision to step down

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Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has made the decision to step down in response to the escalating violence and mounting pressure faced by the impoverished nation.

This development follows a meeting of regional leaders in Jamaica on Monday, where they deliberated on the political transition in Haiti.

Currently stranded in Puerto Rico due to armed gangs preventing his return, Mr Henry delivered a video address urging the Haitian people to maintain their composure.

“The government that I am leading will resign immediately after the installation of [a transition] council,” Mr Henry said.

“I want to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity I had 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.”

Since July 2021, Mr. Henry has been leading the country on an interim basis after the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse. However, he has faced criticism for repeatedly delaying elections, citing the need to restore security first.

Many Haitians have expressed concerns about Mr. Henry governing the country without an elected president for such a prolonged period.

In recent days, heavily armed gangs have taken control of the streets in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, demanding the unelected prime minister’s resignation. As a result, a state of emergency has been declared in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region for a month, and the curfew has been extended.

Mr Henry’s visit to Kenya was intended to finalize a deal regarding the deployment of an international security force to address the issue of violence.

However, during his trip, a coalition of gangs launched attacks on police stations and managed to infiltrate two of Haiti’s largest prisons. Due to the ongoing attacks at Haiti’s international airport, the plane carrying Mr Henry was prevented from landing.

This incident further added to the already mounting pressure for his resignation. The Caricom group, consisting of Caribbean nations, had been vocal about their stance that Mr Henry was hindering Haiti’s stability.

They emphasized that his resignation was necessary to initiate the transition to a council that could bring about stability.

Initially, the White House had expressed its desire for Mr Henry to return to Haiti and oversee the transitional process. However, the intensity of the fighting in the country led to a change of opinion in Washington in recent days.

With neither the support of the US state department nor his neighboring countries, it became evident that Mr Henry had no choice but to step down from his position.

According to the US, Mr. Henry has expressed his desire to return to Haiti, but the security situation needs to improve before he can do so.

The US, which participated in the talks in Kingston on Monday, stated that a senior US official mentioned that Mr. Henry had initially decided to step down on Friday but waited for an official announcement to facilitate the discussions.

In addition, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged an additional $100 million to the UN-backed security force, which is expected to be led by Kenya and consist of 1,000 personnel, for deployment in Haiti.

With Mr. Blinken’s announcement, the proposed US contribution to the security force now amounts to $300 million, and an additional $33 million has been allocated for humanitarian aid.

Following the meeting, President Irfaan Ali, who serves as the chairman of the Caricom group and the President of Guyana, stated, “We acknowledge his resignation upon the establishment of a transitional presidential council and the appointment of an interim prime minister.”

President Ali further explained that the transitional presidential council would include two observers and seven voting members, representing various coalitions, the private sector, civil society, and a religious leader.

President Ali emphasized that the council has been tasked with promptly appointing an interim prime minister and stated that individuals intending to run in Haiti’s upcoming elections would not be eligible to participate.

The establishment of this council is expected to pave the way for Haiti’s first elections since 2016.