Haiti in fresh crisis after assassination of President Jovenel Moïse

By ANA Reporter On Jul 7, 2021

According to some reports, the killers gained access to his home by claiming to be members of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Haiti has been shoved into a fresh political crisis after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse at his home in the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday. File photo: Jorono from Pixabay

PRETORIA, July 7 (ANA) – Haiti has been shoved into a fresh political crisis after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse at his home in the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday.

A group of unidentified individuals attacked the private residence of Moïse, 53, overnight and shot him dead, the country’s Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in a statement.

According to some reports and video published by the Miami Herald and other publications, Moïse’s killers got past the guards at his home by claiming to be members of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), wrote the Guardian UK.

The Guardian UK cited videos circulating on social media in which a man with an American accent is heard saying in English over a megaphone: “DEA operation. Everybody stand down. DEA operation. Everybody back up, stand down.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter that he was shocked and saddened by Moïse’s death.

“Our condolences are with his family and the people of Haiti. This is an abhorrent act and I call for calm at this time,” he wrote.

Moïse’s time in office was troubled as he faced accusations of corruption and was challenged by waves of often violent anti-government protests.

Haiti’s opposition said Moïse’s five-year term should have ended on February 7, 2021, five years to the day since his predecessor Michel Martelly stepped down, according to the BBC.

But due to a year’s delay to elections after Martelly’s term ended, Moïse was adamant he had one more year to serve, as he only took office on February 7, 2017, the BBC wrote.

In February, hundreds of people marched through the streets of Port-au-Prince, demanding that Moïse resign.

The Caribbean country, the world’s first black republic after its revolution against French rule in 1804, has a history marked by poverty, dictatorship and coups.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher