Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation overnight amid mounting international pressure for him to step down. The move follows weeks of civil unrest and violence by rival gangs in the Caribbean country.
Henry said he would turn over power to a transitional council made up of political leaders, the private sector, civil society, and a religious representative. The handover marks the end of Henry’s unelected term as Haiti’s acting president, a post he has held since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021.
The precise membership of the transitional council has not been named, but the gangs that now control some 80% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, are now pushing to be included in the political solution. So is convicted drug trafficker Guy Philippe, who says he can bridge between the gangs and ordinary society.
The international community, however, is not eager to invite either to the table and is setting its hopes on a Kenyan-led intervention force to help the Haitian police win back control of the streets. Washington announced it would commit another $100 million to the force and $33 million in humanitarian aid, bringing total US pledges to $333 million.