Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry agrees to resign – DW – 03/12/2024

News updated at 07:25 CET

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to resign on Monday (03/11/2024), the current head of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) announced at a press conference after a meeting in Jamaica. Gang violence and governance crisis.

Irfan Ali, Acting President of the Caribbean Community and President of Guyana, announced that Henry would resign following “the establishment of an Interim Presidential Council and the appointment of an Interim Prime Minister”.

The current head of CARICOM, along with other heads of government of the Caribbean organization, explained at a press conference in Kingston on Monday, “agreed to create an Interim Presidential Council with seven members with voting rights. Two observers”.

The decision was adopted after a meeting in Jamaica with representatives of the US and other international partners such as France and the UN.

Henry did not attend the meeting, remaining in Puerto Rico, where he has been stranded for a week as violence escalates in Haiti and pressure on him to resign.

“We are pleased to announce the commitment to an interim governance agreement that paves the way for a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance and short-term security and an action plan for short-term security,” he announced.

The US says that Henry could be in Puerto Rico

A US official quoted by AFP and Reuters agencies said Henry confirmed his resignation in a telephone conversation with US diplomatic chief Anthony Blinken on Monday night.

The source added that while the Haitian leader in question is stranded in Puerto Rico, where his country suffers from gang violence, he would be welcome if he decides to stay in the US territory in the Caribbean. He said Henry is free to stay anywhere in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico or move elsewhere.

Although Henry has expressed his desire to return to his country, he has also said he needs to feel comfortable with the security situation in Haiti, the official added, quoted by Reuters.

The Dominican Republic has warned of consequences if no action is taken in Haiti

A few hours earlier, the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinador, warned that in the face of a lack of action by the international community, it may be forced to take some measures to maintain its security. HaitiHe blamed the delay in responding to the violence Political and social instability dominates the neighboring country.

In his opinion, the international community has delayed intervention in Haiti, which is why he said: “We do not want complaints about the measures we take to guarantee the security of our country.”

Despite the United Nations Security Council last October agreeing to send troops to pacify Haiti, where the armed forces dominate much of Port-au-Prince, the president has condemned the international community's indolence in addressing the situation in the neighboring country. — Prince and other parts.

“Five weeks ago, we went to the UN to reiterate our call to the international community to attend to Haiti (…). On that occasion we warned that the neighboring country is on the edge of the abyss. As a result of the things that are happening, we are falling,” the president added.

The State Department refuses to be involved in Haiti decisions

Abinador's statements were accompanied by a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mirex) in which it insisted that the Dominican Republic could not and should not be involved in internal decisions belonging to the Haitian people, “considering the shared island's history and surroundings. .” “.

“This is compounded by an unprecedented crisis, institutionalism, violence and delays in international response,” the Foreign Ministry wrote, adding that any transition agreement in Haiti would enable the deployment of an international support mission to the security. Approved by United Nations Security Council resolutions.

CARICOM calls for speeding up political transition

Almost in parallel, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United States this Monday urged Haiti to expedite a political transition and deploy a multinational force, to which Washington provided an additional $100 million.

At the end of the meeting in Kingston, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness, current CARICOM president Irfan Ali, Guyana's president and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken were “optimistic”. .

Ali said he was “very confident” that the Haitian parties had found “common ground” to support a settlement led by them, although he did not give details on progress.

“We are making progress,” Jamaica's prime minister said, while Blinken indicated the talks were moving “in a positive direction.”

Criminals reject negotiations by the international community

Violence in Port-au-Prince has increased significantly since it became known on February 28 that Henry had promised to hold elections by the end of August 2025, which is far-fetched considering that his term was supposed to end on February 7.

The metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince appeared calm this Monday, but new threats came from the Vivre Group (Living Together) coalition of armed gangs, which rejected negotiations by the international community. Crisis shaking the country..

International pressure has been mounting on Henry, who has been stranded in Puerto Rico since last Tuesday — to resign at today's meeting in Jamaica, with no direct calls to that effect.

jc (efe, ap, afp, Listín, Diario Libre)