Haitian prime minister resigns amid gang crisis

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry plans on resigning as soon as a transition council and temporary replacement are in place, he said early Tuesday morning, as the country is wracked by gang violence. 

"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 video, The Associated Press reported. "The government I’m running will remove itself immediately after the installation of the council."

The Haitian Parliament is nonexistent after the remaining senators' terms expired in January 2023, so the nation does not have any elected officials.

Henry was also unelected when he became prime minister after Haitian President Jovenel Moïse's assassination in 2021. He traveled to Kenya in February to discuss a United Nations-backed security force to help police his country, which has been struggling with armed gangs. 

Tensions in the country rose significantly after gangs stormed two prisons earlier this month and released about 3,700 inmates.

Before the prison break, 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince was already controlled by gangs. It is unclear whether they will play a role in the new government.

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