Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced early Tuesday that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, capitulating to international pressure that seeks to save the country overwhelmed by violent gangs that some experts say have unleashed a low-scale civil war.
Henry made the announcement hours after officials including Caribbean leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Jamaica to urgently discuss a solution to halt Haiti’s spiraling crisis.
“The government that I am leading will resign immediately after the installation of (a transition) council,” Henry said in a video address quoted by the Reuters news agency. “I want to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity I had been granted.”
“I’m asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to come back as fast as possible,” he added.