Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Haiti prime minister resigns amid spike in killings and kidnappings

Joseph Jouthe’s departure comes as Caribbean country also prepares for constitutional referendum and general election

Chiara Giordano
Wednesday 14 April 2021 11:27 EDT
Comments
Haiti’s prime minister Jouthe Joseph (pictured) has announced his resignation amid a spike in killings and kidnappings in the Caribbean country
Haiti’s prime minister Jouthe Joseph (pictured) has announced his resignation amid a spike in killings and kidnappings in the Caribbean country (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Haiti’s prime minister has resigned as the country faces a spike in killings and kidnappings.

Joseph Jouthe, who has served as prime minister since March 2020, stepped down on Wednesday without giving an explanation for his resignation.

Mr Jouthe had previously tried to submit his resignation, but president Jovenel Moise at the time had rejected it.

This time, Mr Moise accepted the resignation of Mr Jouthe and his cabinet and announced foreign minister Claude Joseph had been appointed as Haiti’s interim prime minister.

The president tweeted: “The resignation of the government, which I have accepted, will allow us to address the grave problem of public safety and to pursue discussions with a view to creating the necessary consensus for the political and institutional stability of our country.”

Haiti has long had a high turnover of prime ministers, with eight of them appointed to the position since 2015.

As well as the recent spate of violence, the country is also preparing

The country is also preparing for an upcoming constitutional referendum and general election later this year.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in