Ariel Henry
Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has tendered his resignation and appealed for calm as the country descends into chaos.
This is sequel to a call by Guy Philippe, a leader of the 2004 Haitian coup, on Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.
Philippe, who returned to Haiti last year after serving a prison sentence in the US, has said that he wants to be president
Philippe, who was deported back to Haiti in November after serving six years of a prison sentence for conspiracy to launder drug money, had called on the Prime Minister Henry to resign and “let Haitians decide their fate”.
There has yet to be a response from the gangs taking control of Haiti, especially the influential gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier who also warned of a “civil war” unless Henry stepped down.
Over the weekend, the violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, ramped up once again as heavily armed gangs attacked the National Palace and set part of the Interior Ministry on fire with petrol bombs.
It came after a sustained attack on the international airport, which remains closed to all flights – including one carrying Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
The Prime Minister had tried to fly back to Haiti from the United States last week, but his plane was refused permission to land. He was then turned away from the neighbouring Dominican Republic too.
Mr Henry is believed to be stuck in Puerto Rico, from where he is believed to have tendered his resignation, unable to set foot in the nation he ostensibly led.
In Port-au-Prince, there were some celebrations at the news of Henry’s resignation amid great apprehension for what comes next.
The international and Caribbean community put forward a proposal for a transitional council, but gangs are likely to pursue their goal of establishing a “troika” – a government composed of three members picked by them.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who hosted crisis talks that secured Henry’s resignation, warned Haiti risks all-out civil war.
