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Who is Ariel Henry? Know more about Haitian Prime Minister as he resigns from role as head of Caribbean nation
Ariel Henry, the embattled prime minister of Haiti, announced his resignation late on Monday, effective after the appointment of a transition council and a temporary replacement.
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Haitian PM Ariel Henry has resigned amidst chaos in the Carribean nation
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to genocide.
Ariel Henry, the embattled prime minister of Haiti, announced his resignation late on Monday, effective after the appointment of a transition team and a temporary replacement. After an emergency gathering of regional states, the 74-year-old declared late on Monday that he would be stepping down. Armed gangs have taken over in Haiti and are demanding Henry's removal, resulting in weeks of mounting violence.
Henry to remain the Prime Minister until a new council is formed
According to CNN, Henry will stay in his position until a new interim administration is formed, which was informed by Henry's advisor Jean Junior Joseph. A transitional council will be established to build the groundwork for elections in Haiti, according to a statement made by the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), which met in Jamaica on Monday.
Henry was in Kenya to seal a deal to dispatch 1,000 Kenyan police officers to the Caribbean country to reestablish the security environment over which his government lost control last week when the violence reached its peak. As the security situation around the airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince worsened, he was unable to return to Haiti.
Who is Ariel Henry?
Born in Haiti on November 6, 1949, Ariel Henry is a politician and neurosurgeon who has held the positions of acting president and prime minister since July 20, 2021, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Henry, who took office unelected in 2021 after the assassination of Haiti's president, refused to hold elections last year because voter integrity would be jeopardized by the nation's instability. However, as Haiti descended into even greater poverty and gang violence, demonstrators had been calling for his resignation for months. His decision had just infuriated them more.
After being stopped from going home by the gangs' threat, the former leader of Haiti is now stranded in the US territory of Puerto Rico. According to a top US official, he was free to stay there or go elsewhere, but he wouldn't feel safe going back to his native country until security in Haiti improved.
Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, the leader of the alliance of gangs, went on the rampage when Henry left the country in late February in an attempt to garner support for an international police operation spearheaded by Kenya, which his government said was required to bring about peace so that elections could take place. They have threatened civil war and genocide if Henry, the prime minister appointed following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise did not resign.
Know more about Ariel Henry
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