Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigns, paves way for new government

The nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, is also expected to help set the agenda of a new cabinet. It will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place, and establish a national security council.

Gangs launched coordinated attacks that began on February 29 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas. They burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that has remained closed since early March and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

The onslaught began while Henry was on an official visit to Kenya to push for a UN-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country. He remains locked out of Haiti.

The international community has urged the council to prioritise Haiti’s widespread insecurity. Even before the attacks began, gangs already controlled 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince. The number of people killed early this year was up by more than 50 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to a recent UN report.