Haitian PM Ariel Henry Resigns: What Led To His Departure Amidst Civil War Threat?

In a recent development, it has been announced by Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Guyana's president and the current chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned from his position as the head of the government of the island nation.

Henry, an unelected official, had assumed the post following the assassination of the country's last President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

Haitian PM Ariel Henry Resigns

Henry's resignation follows a meeting of regional leaders of the Caribbean held on Monday in Jamaica to address the deteriorating law and order situation in Haiti, as reported by Reuters. The situation in the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince, has been engulfed by gang violence since February 29, which escalated while Henry was away in Nairobi for talks with Kenyan President William Ruto.

The violence intensified after gunmen raided two jails in the capital, resulting in the release of approximately 4,700 inmates. Notably, powerful gang boss Jimmy Chérizier, also known as Barbecue, recently threatened a civil war, warning of dire consequences if Henry did not resign and if the international community continued to support him.

Meanwhile, Ariel Henry has been stranded in Puerto Rico, a US unincorporated territory, since the first week of March. His attempted return from Nairobi to Port-au-Prince on March 5 was thwarted due to the closure of the airport amid ongoing security concerns.

According to reports from the Miami Herald, the United States government, led by Joe Biden, exerted pressure on Henry to agree to a new transitional government and resign, coinciding with Barbecue's threat. The US supported "a proposal developed in partnership with CARICOM and Haitian stakeholders to expedite a political transition through the creation of a broad-based, independent presidential college," as stated by the State Department.