Haiti’s Prime Minister Resigns, Transitional Committee Sworn In

Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on Thursday, leading to a transition council taking over the government to help restore stability in the country, which has been plagued by gang violence, chaos, and suffering. According to reports from Reuters, Michel Patrick Boisvert, former Minister of Finance under Henry, will be serving as the interim prime minister.

On Thursday morning, following the official swearing-in of a nine-member transition council, Boisvert stated, “Today is an important day in the life of our beloved Republic, a day that has actually opened the door to addressing the multi-faceted crises facing the nation.”

Henry announced last month that he would resign once the transition council was established. He left Haiti in February seeking international support to help the Haitian police combat powerful armed gangs. The threat of gangs taking full control of the capital city forced him to remain abroad. Upon finally returning to the country after significant difficulties, he announced his intention to step down. During his absence, Boisvert acted as the acting prime minister.

The term of the transitional government will last until February 2026, when elections must be held without any extensions allowed. The U.S. government welcomed the announcement in Haiti on Thursday, describing the transition council’s assumption of power as a step towards free and fair elections in the country.

The appointment of the council is also seen as a crucial step towards the deployment of a multi-national security task force. Kenya had expressed willingness to lead this task force, but due to deteriorating security conditions, it suspended its action and stated that once the new government is established, the country will reassess this task force.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson expressed on Thursday that the Secretary-General is urging the prompt establishment of a multi-national force to assist in addressing the “severe” situation.

Gang violence has been a longstanding issue in Haiti, but it escalated earlier this year. The latest data from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) shows that from January to March, over 2,500 people lost their lives or were injured in gang violence.

The security situation has also led to thousands of people being displaced, contributing to a catastrophic hunger crisis in the country.