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Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry bows to internal and external pressure and agrees to resign

port-au-prince, haiti — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced early Tuesday that he would resign as soon as an interim presidential council is established, bowing to international pressure to save the country. A country overwhelmed by violent gangs Some experts claim this has sparked a small-scale civil war.

Henry made the announcement hours after Caribbean leaders and officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Jamaica to urgently discuss solutions to the suspension. Haitian crisis spirals.

“The government I lead will resign immediately after the establishment of the (transitional) council,” Henry said in a video speech quoted by Reuters. “I would like to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity that was given to me.”

“I call on all Haitians to remain calm and do everything possible to restore peace and stability as soon as possible,” he added.

Kenya and Haitian Armed Forces
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry gives a public lecture at the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi, Kenya, in March. 1st, 2024.

Andrew Cusk/AP


Henry is unable to enter Haiti because the country’s main international airport has been closed due to violence. He arrived in Puerto Rico a week ago after being barred from landing in the Dominican Republic, where authorities said he did not have the necessary flight plan. Dominican authorities also closed their airspace to flights to and from Haiti.

A U.S. official told Agence France-Presse that Mr. Henry is welcome to remain in Puerto Rico for the time being.

It was not immediately clear who exactly would lead Haiti through a crisis in which heavily armed gangs burned down police stations, attacked a major airport and stormed two of the country’s largest prisons. As a result of the raid, more than 4,000 prisoners were released.


Chaos in Haiti due to clashes between government forces and gangs

02:11

Scores of people have been killed and more than 15,000 people are left homeless after fleeing areas hit by gang attacks. Food and water supplies are dwindling as food stalls and stores selling to poor Haitians run out of food. The main port in the capital Port-au-Prince remains closed, leaving dozens of containers loaded with vital goods stranded.

Emergency meeting of local officials

Caribbean leaders said late Monday that they would “accept the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry” once an interim presidential council is established and an interim prime minister is appointed.

The announcement was made by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, who held an emergency meeting in Jamaica early Monday with officials including Blinken and members of the regional trade bloc CARICOM. They met for several hours behind closed doors to discuss how to stop Haiti’s spiraling violence.

Before sharing details of the proposed transition council, Ali said, “I would like to pause for a moment and thank Prime Minister Henry for his contributions to Haiti.”

Henry was Haiti’s longest-serving prime minister since the ratification of the country’s constitution in 1987, a remarkable feat in a politically volatile country with constant changes in prime ministers.

Earlier Monday, Mr. Blinken announced an additional $100 million to fund the multinational force in Haiti. Blinken also announced an additional $33 million in humanitarian aid and a deal agreed by Caribbean leaders and “all stakeholders in Haiti” to facilitate a political transition and create a “presidential university.” announced the creation of a joint proposal.

Haiti extends state of emergency
A car passes through a burning barricade during a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 7, as the government announces the state of emergency will be extended for another month due to escalating gang violence calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Drivers. , 2024.

Ralph Teddy Errol/Reuters


The university said it would take “concrete steps,” which it did not specify, to respond to the needs of the Haitian people and allow for the pending deployment of a multinational force led by Kenya. Blinken also noted that the Pentagon has doubled its support for the mission, making $100 million available to date.

This joint proposal has the support of CARICOM.

“I think we can all agree that Haiti is on the brink of disaster,” Ali said. “We must act quickly and decisively.”

Ali said he was “very confident that we found common ground” to support what he called a Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solution.

Meanwhile, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the talks were a work in progress.

“It is clear that Haiti is currently at a tipping point,” he said. “We are deeply concerned that it is already too late for so many people who have lost so much at the hands of criminal organizations.”

Top gang leaders participate

The leaders met behind closed doors, but Jimmy Chéridier, considered the leader of Haiti’s most powerful gang, told reporters that “that is” if the international community continues on its current path. will plunge Haiti into further turmoil.. ”

“We Haitians must decide who will lead our country and what model of government we want,” said the former elite police officer known as “Barbeque” and member of the G9 family. said Cherizier, who heads a coalition of gangs known as And Arise. “We will also be thinking about how to get Haiti out of its current dire situation.”

The meeting in Jamaica was organized by CARICOM, which has been calling for the formation of an interim government in Haiti for months as protests in the country demand Prime Minister Henry’s resignation.

“The international community must work with the Haitian people toward a peaceful political transition,” Brian Nichols, the U.S. assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, wrote on social media.

Late Monday, Haiti’s government announced it would extend a curfew until March 14 to prevent further attacks.

AFP points out that Henry is an unelected leader who came to power just before Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, adding that Haiti has no president or parliament and has not held elections since 2016. He added that there was no.

Summarize this content to 100 words port-au-prince, haiti — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced early Tuesday that he would resign as soon as an interim presidential council is established, bowing to international pressure to save the country. A country overwhelmed by violent gangs Some experts claim this has sparked a small-scale civil war.Henry made the announcement hours after Caribbean leaders and officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Jamaica to urgently discuss solutions to the suspension. Haitian crisis spirals.”The government I lead will resign immediately after the establishment of the (transitional) council,” Henry said in a video speech quoted by Reuters. “I would like to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity that was given to me.”

“I call on all Haitians to remain calm and do everything possible to restore peace and stability as soon as possible,” he added.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry gives a public lecture at the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi, Kenya, in March. 1st, 2024.

Andrew Cusk/AP

Henry is unable to enter Haiti because the country’s main international airport has been closed due to violence. He arrived in Puerto Rico a week ago after being barred from landing in the Dominican Republic, where authorities said he did not have the necessary flight plan. Dominican authorities also closed their airspace to flights to and from Haiti.

A U.S. official told Agence France-Presse that Mr. Henry is welcome to remain in Puerto Rico for the time being.It was not immediately clear who exactly would lead Haiti through a crisis in which heavily armed gangs burned down police stations, attacked a major airport and stormed two of the country’s largest prisons. As a result of the raid, more than 4,000 prisoners were released.

Chaos in Haiti due to clashes between government forces and gangs

02:11

Scores of people have been killed and more than 15,000 people are left homeless after fleeing areas hit by gang attacks. Food and water supplies are dwindling as food stalls and stores selling to poor Haitians run out of food. The main port in the capital Port-au-Prince remains closed, leaving dozens of containers loaded with vital goods stranded.Emergency meeting of local officials Caribbean leaders said late Monday that they would “accept the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry” once an interim presidential council is established and an interim prime minister is appointed.

The announcement was made by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, who held an emergency meeting in Jamaica early Monday with officials including Blinken and members of the regional trade bloc CARICOM. They met for several hours behind closed doors to discuss how to stop Haiti’s spiraling violence. Before sharing details of the proposed transition council, Ali said, “I would like to pause for a moment and thank Prime Minister Henry for his contributions to Haiti.” Henry was Haiti’s longest-serving prime minister since the ratification of the country’s constitution in 1987, a remarkable feat in a politically volatile country with constant changes in prime ministers. Earlier Monday, Mr. Blinken announced an additional $100 million to fund the multinational force in Haiti. Blinken also announced an additional $33 million in humanitarian aid and a deal agreed by Caribbean leaders and “all stakeholders in Haiti” to facilitate a political transition and create a “presidential university.” announced the creation of a joint proposal.

A car passes through a burning barricade during a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 7, as the government announces the state of emergency will be extended for another month due to escalating gang violence calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Drivers. , 2024.

Ralph Teddy Errol/Reuters

The university said it would take “concrete steps,” which it did not specify, to respond to the needs of the Haitian people and allow for the pending deployment of a multinational force led by Kenya. Blinken also noted that the Pentagon has doubled its support for the mission, making $100 million available to date. This joint proposal has the support of CARICOM. “I think we can all agree that Haiti is on the brink of disaster,” Ali said. “We must act quickly and decisively.”

Ali said he was “very confident that we found common ground” to support what he called a Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solution. Meanwhile, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the talks were a work in progress. “It is clear that Haiti is currently at a tipping point,” he said. “We are deeply concerned that it is already too late for so many people who have lost so much at the hands of criminal organizations.”Top gang leaders participate The leaders met behind closed doors, but Jimmy Chéridier, considered the leader of Haiti’s most powerful gang, told reporters that “that is” if the international community continues on its current path. will plunge Haiti into further turmoil.. ” “We Haitians must decide who will lead our country and what model of government we want,” said the former elite police officer known as “Barbeque” and member of the G9 family. said Cherizier, who heads a coalition of gangs known as And Arise. “We will also be thinking about how to get Haiti out of its current dire situation.” The meeting in Jamaica was organized by CARICOM, which has been calling for the formation of an interim government in Haiti for months as protests in the country demand Prime Minister Henry’s resignation. “The international community must work with the Haitian people toward a peaceful political transition,” Brian Nichols, the U.S. assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, wrote on social media.

Late Monday, Haiti’s government announced it would extend a curfew until March 14 to prevent further attacks.AFP points out that Henry is an unelected leader who came to power just before Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, adding that Haiti has no president or parliament and has not held elections since 2016. He added that there was no.

More from CBS News

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/haiti-prime-minister-ariel-henry-resigning-once-transitional-council-formed/ Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry bows to internal and external pressure and agrees to resign

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