Haiti PM resigns as transitional council sworn in
Ariel Henry has resigned as prime minister and a new council has been sworn in to lead Haiti which has been recently gripped by deadly violence.
The outbreak of violence forced officials to move the ceremony from the National Palace to the outgoing prime minister’s office.
Henry agreed to resign last month after armed groups blocked his return to the country.
Gangs now control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Their power and control have expanded over swathes of the country since the prime minister’s exit.
Henry announced his resignation after the gangs prevented his return from Kenya where he had signed a deal to import a multinational security force in a bid to restore law and order. His resignation was formally presented in a letter signed in Los Angeles, dated 24 April.
Nine of the new council have now been sworn in, seven of which have voting powers.
Former finance minister Michel Patrick Boisvert will serve as the interim prime minister.
He said the country was at a “crossroads” in its search for solutions to overcome the current political crisis, wich was harming the population, property and infrastructure.
The council will try to restore order and democratic rule in Haiti, and is backed by other Caribbean nations and the US.