The United States said it did not force Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry**, the country's powerful gang leader, to demand his resignation amid a new wave of violence and rising instability in the Caribbean country.
Due to the recent surge in gang violence, thousands of ** have been displaced from the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, U.S. spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington "did not call on him (Henry) or urge him to resign."
However, Miller told reporters that the U.S. is urging Henry to "accelerate the transition to an empowered and inclusive governance structure that will act urgently to help the country prepare for a multinational security support mission."
Miller said the mission, which was supported by the United Nations, had stalled for months and would then be followed by "resolving the security situation and paving the way for free and fair elections" in Haiti.
His remarks follow a report by the Miami Herald earlier Wednesday that Henry had been asked to agree to form a new transition and resign amid the growing crisis in Haiti.
The surge in gang violence that began over the weekend, including attacks on police stations and raids on two prisons in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has displaced tens of thousands of people and paralyzed the city.
Henry, a 74-year-old neurosurgeon, was sworn in as Haiti's prime minister in July 2021, less than two weeks after the assassination of Joffner Moïse. Moïse chose Henry as prime minister shortly before he was killed.
The assassination exacerbated months of political instability in Haiti, and the resulting power vacuum led to a surge in gang violence.
At the same time, Henry, who has long enjoyed the support of the United States and other Western powers, including the so-called core group of countries, faced a crisis of legitimacy from the very beginning of his tenure.
Some Haitian civil society groups have urged him to hand over power to an inclusive transition**, a move they believe will help curb the gang violence and widespread insecurity that plague the country.
Henry rejected the request, but said he was seeking unity and dialogue. He has also repeatedly stated that elections will not be held until security is ensured.
But it angered many people across Haiti, including the leaders of armed gangs, who have used pressure tactics over the past few years – including locking off gas stations – in an attempt to force him to resign.
The situation escalated when Henry left Haiti last month for the South American nation of Guyana for a four-day summit organized by the Caribbean Community and the Common Market Regional Group.
While Henry did not speak to **, the Caribbean leader said he promised to hold elections in mid-2025. A day later, organized gang attacks began in the Haitian capital and beyond.
Henry left Guyana for Kenya last week to meet with William Ruto** and push for the deployment of a Kenyan police force with the support of the United Nations, a move that the East African National Court ruled unconstitutional.
* They never said when the prime minister would return to Haiti after his trip to Kenya, and his whereabouts were unknown for days until his unexpected arrival in Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Haiti** declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew as the country's already overwhelmed and poorly equipped police force tried to curb the surge in gang violence.
Haitian gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier warned that if Henry didn't, there would be a "civil war").
Schools and shops in Port-au-Prince have been closed – the gang is believed to control about 80% of the city's area – and 15,000 Haitians have been forced to flee their homes in recent days, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Jimmy, the leader of the powerful Haitian gang alliance G9 Barbecue" Cherizier also warned that "if Ariel Henry does not resign, if the international community continues to support him, we will go directly to a civil war that will lead to genocide".
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters that the UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting on Haiti on Wednesday afternoon to "discuss the alarming escalation of gang violence."
"The situation in Port-au-Prince remains extremely fragile as sporadic attacks continue and all flights in and out of Haiti remain cancelled," said Stephen Dujarric. ”
Earlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York, responded to Miller's sentiments when asked if Washington was urging Henry.
Thomas Greenfield told reporters that "what we are asking the Haitian prime minister to do is to move forward with the political process in order to establish a transitional council" so that elections can be held.
We believe that it is urgent. He moved in that direction and began the process of returning the Haitian people to normalcy. ”
Jack Johnston, a senior fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., and an expert on Haiti, said it was "not surprising" that the United States had denied reports calling for Henry's resignation.
But what they say they are asking Henry to do will most likely lead to his resignation because no one will be able to reach a political deal that will keep him in power," Johnston wrote on x.
Haitian rights advocate and analyst Emmanuela Douyon also wrote in a social media post that "there is no quick fix to a crisis as deep and protracted as this".
Action is urgently needed to save lives, protect people, restore peace and restore democratic order. This requires tackling not only gang activities, but also corruption and criminal activities, including collusion between political and economic elites and gangs," she said.
In order to effectively guide this process and make it as short as possible, we need competent and credible leaders, some political consensus and a great deal of political will. It is important to ensure that the upcoming elections are inclusive, free, fair and credible. ”