the presidential transitional council was officially created

The long-awaited Haitian presidential transition council was officially created on Friday April 12, a month after the announcement of the resignation of contested Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The formation of this body, which will attempt to restore public order and stability in the country plagued by gang violence, was made official by a decree signed by Ariel Henry and published in the country’s official newspaper. “The mandate of the transitional presidential council ends, at the latest, on February 7, 2026”, according to the text. Its members will have to nominate “quickly” a Prime Minister as well as a government “inclusive”. The council is not yet formally in charge of the country and Ariel Henry “will present the resignation of his government following the appointment of a new Prime Minister”specifies the document.

The poor Caribbean country has suffered from chronic political instability for decades. But at the end of February, the gangs, whose violence was already ravaging entire sections of the territory, launched coordinated attacks against strategic sites, saying they wanted to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The latter, appointed a few days before the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, was strongly contested. He was unable to return to his country after a trip to Kenya. On March 11, the same day as a meeting between Haitians and several organizations and countries such as the United States, he announced that he would resign to make way for a transitional presidential council.