By Sinan Dogan
BOGOTA (AA) – Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on Monday due to increased violent incidents by a notorious gang in the country that has already forced the general elections to be canceled on multiple occasions.
“We acknowledge his resignation upon the establishment of transitional presidential council and naming an interim prime minister," said Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Guyana's president and current Caribbean Community (CARICOM) chair, in a statement.
The heads of state from the 25 CARICOM member countries met in Kingston, Jamaica, for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the Haitian security crisis.
Following the meeting, 74-year-old Henry, who had been in Puerto Rico for security reasons since March 5, informed CARICOM of his decision to resign.
Meanwhile, gang members attempted raids on two police stations and the Interior Ministry, but were repulsed by police, according to local media.
Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as "Barbecue," whose actions resulted in the escape of thousands of prisoners from different jails, warned on March 6 that if Prime Minister Henry did not resign, "Either Haiti becomes a paradise for all of us, or a hell for all of us.”
Armed gangs demanding Henry's resignation clashed with security forces on March 2 and 3, carrying out armed attacks on two prisons across the country. Almost 4,000 prisoners escaped during the clashes, with 12 people killed.
On March 4, the government declared a 72-hour state of emergency to apprehend the escaped prisoners and announced a curfew that would be enforced during specific hours.
Cherizier's gang has attempted to seize control of the airport in the capital multiple times to prevent Henry from returning to the country.
During the gang attacks, Henry was in Nairobi planning the deployment of a multinational security force led by Kenya to Haiti.
The state of emergency declared on March 4 to apprehend escaped prisoners was extended for one month on March 7.
* Writing by Seda Sevencan