Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry agrees to resign, bowing to regional pressure to end crisis
- Transitional council will appoint an interim prime minister, prepare for elections
- The United States pledged additional US$100 million for Kenya-led peacekeepers
Haiti’s prime minister agreed late on Monday to step aside as armed gangs plunge his country into anarchy, as he accepted a regional push for a transition that sets the stage for international intervention.
Caribbean nations secured Ariel Henry’s resignation at an emergency meeting in Jamaica where US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered another US$100 million to pave the way for the security force, which will be led by Kenya.
Gangs have taken over much of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country and in recent weeks the crisis has grown even more violent, with bodies strewn across the streets, armed bandits looting basic infrastructure and fears rising of a famine.
“The government I lead cannot remain insensitive to this situation. As I have always said, no sacrifice is too great for our homeland Haiti,” Henry said in a resignation address that he posted online.
Gang leaders had demanded the departure of Henry who, while speaking of himself as a transitional figure, had remained in power since 2021 when Haiti’s president was assassinated. Haiti has not held an election since 2016.
