Haitian Prime Minister Steps Down Amid Rising Gang Violence

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry stepped down from his position, according to Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, amid rising gang violence across the region.

Henry tendered his resignation after leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held an emergency summit regarding Haiti's gang-led violence. The situation also comes as the nation has repeatedly postponed elections that have resulted in chaos.

Haitian Prime Minister Resigns

Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali confirmed that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned amid rising gang violence in the region.
(Photo : Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In a statement, Ali, who is the current chair of CARICOM, said that they were acknowledging the Haitian prime minister's resignation. He also expressed his gratitude to Henry for his "service to Haiti."

The Haitian prime minister is viewed as corrupt by many people in the region and he was not at the summit, which took place behind closed doors. His decision to step down comes as the alliance of gangs, which is led by Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, warned of a potential civil war.

This would occur if Henry, who became Haiti's prime minister after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, did not step down. The gangs that Cherizier leads went on a rampage when the prime minister was out of the nation last week as he was seeking to rally support for a Kenya-led foreign police intervention, according to Aljazeera.

Henry was supposed to resign in February and has been essentially locked out of the nation since the start of the unrest. Last week, he landed in Puerto Rico after he was denied entry into the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Ali also said that the emergency summit, which was held in Jamaica, sought to bring "stability and normalcy" to the region, which is considered the poorest country in the region. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the meeting and pledged to provide $100 million for a United Nations-backed force to help in stabilizing Haiti.

Addressing Rising Gang Violence

The U.S. State Department said that the American government supports a proposal that was developed in partnership with CARICOM and Haiti stakeholders. It seeks to expedite a political transition through the creation of a broad-based, independent presidential college.

In a speech on Monday, Henry said that his government would leave power after the establishment of a transitional council. He added that what his country needs is stability. In the video address, the Haitian prime minister added that his administration will be a caretaker government until a new prime minister is named and a new cabinet is established, said CNN.

Henry has been facing mounting pressure from the U.S. to secure a political settlement but it remains unclear who would be replacing the embattled prime minister. One of the names under consideration is Guy Philippe, who is a rebel leader who was recently deported from the U.S. to Haiti following the end of a prison sentence over charges of money laundering.

Haiti has not had elected representatives since early 2023 and the country's next elections will be the first held since 2016. The gang violence has, the UN estimates, displaced more than 362,000 people, half of whom are children. Officials added that thousands have lost their lives in the overall conflict, according to Reuters.