Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has officially stepped down, paving the way for a transitional council to lead the country. In a letter posted to social media on Thursday, Henry stated that his administration had “served the nation in difficult times.”
The transitional council was officially installed on Thursday, with Economy Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert appointed as interim prime minister. The council, which includes nine members with seven having voting powers, is expected to help set the agenda of a new cabinet, appoint a provisional electoral commission, and establish a national security council.
The resignation comes amid a spiraling political and security crisis in Haiti, with an alliance of powerful gangs launching a coordinated attack on the capital city of Port-au-Prince at the end of February. This coincided with Henry’s visit to Kenya in support of a United Nations-backed security force that the East African country had agreed to deploy to Haiti.
While gang leaders had called for Henry’s resignation, they have voiced anger over their exclusion from the transitional negotiations, and it remains unclear how they will respond to the new council. The future of Haiti remains uncertain as the country enters this new phase.
