Haiti’s prime minister says he’ll resign as violent gangs rampage

FILE - Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry attends a public lecture at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, March 1, 2024. The prime minister had traveled to Kenya to push for the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country to fight gangs in Haiti. Henry, who is facing calls to resign or form a transitional council, remains unable to return home. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku, File)

FILE - Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry attends a public lecture at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, March 1, 2024. The prime minister had traveled to Kenya to push for the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country to fight gangs in Haiti. Henry, who is facing calls to resign or form a transitional council, remains unable to return home. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku, File) Andrew Kasuku

Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, walks away after speaking to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, walks away after speaking to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph

From left, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali and Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness attend an emergency meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP)

From left, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali and Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness attend an emergency meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP) ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Members of the G9 and Family gang speak to each other while standing guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Members of the G9 and Family gang speak to each other while standing guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph

Secretary of State Antony Blinken waits in an elevator before a meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken waits in an elevator before a meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP) ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

An armed member of the G9 and Family gang rolls a tire to burn at a roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

An armed member of the G9 and Family gang rolls a tire to burn at a roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph

UN Chef de Cabinet Earle Courtenay Rattray, left, attends a meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP)

UN Chef de Cabinet Earle Courtenay Rattray, left, attends a meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP) ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

Armed members of the G9 and Family gang stand guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Armed members of the G9 and Family gang stand guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph

Mexico's Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena speaks speaks during a meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP)

Mexico's Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena speaks speaks during a meeting on Haiti at the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds, Pool via AP) ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

A lifeless body lies against the curb as pedestrians walk past in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

A lifeless body lies against the curb as pedestrians walk past in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph

By DÁNICA COTO and EVENS SANON

Associated Press

Published: 03-12-2024 2:36 PM

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, bowing to international pressure to make way for new leadership in the country overwhelmed by violent gangs.

Henry made the announcement hours after Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Jamaica to discuss a solution to halt Haiti’s spiraling crisis and agreed to a joint proposal to establish a transitional council.

“The government that I’m running cannot remain insensitive in front of this situation. There is no sacrifice that is too big for our country,” Henry said in a recorded statement. “The government I’m running will remove itself immediately after the installation of the council.”

Henry has been unable to enter Haiti because the violence forced the closure of its main international airport. He arrived in Puerto Rico a week ago, after being barred from landing in the Dominican Republic, where officials said that he lacked a required flight plan. Dominican officials also closed the airspace to flights to and from Haiti.

It was not immediately clear who would be chosen to lead Haiti out of the crisis in which heavily armed gangs have burned police stations, attacked the main airport and raided two of the country’s biggest prisons. The raids resulted in the release of more than 4,000 inmates.

Scores of people have been killed, and more than 15,000 are homeless after fleeing neighborhoods raided by gangs. Food and water are dwindling as vendors who sell to impoverished Haitians run out of goods. The main port in the capital of Port-au-Prince remains closed, stranding dozens of containers with critical supplies.

The meeting in Jamaica was organized by Caricom, a regional trade bloc that has pressed for months for a transitional government in Haiti while violent protests in the country demanded Henry’s resignation.

Guyana President Irfaan Ali said the transitional council would have seven voting members and two nonvoting ones.

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Those with votes include the Pitit Desalin party, run by former senator and presidential candidate Moïse Jean-Charles, who is now an ally of Guy Philippe, a former rebel leader who led a successful 2004 coup and was recently released from a United States prison after pleading guilty to money laundering.

Also with a vote is the EDE party of former Prime Minister Charles Joseph; the Fanmi Lavalas party; the coalition led by Henry; the Montana Accord group; and members of the private sector.

Henry served the longest single term as prime minister since Haiti’s 1987 constitution was approved, a surprising feat for a politically unstable country with a constant turnover of premiers. He was sworn in as prime minister nearly two weeks after the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.