Alwaght- Haitian President Jovenel Moise has been assassinated at his private residence on Wednesday, interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said.
A group of unidentified individuals attacked Moise's home at around 1am on Wednesday July 7,and shot him dead, Joseph said.
The First Lady suffered bullet injuries and was in hospital.
Moise had been ruling Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, by decree after legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed and following disputes on when his own term ended. Condemning the “inhumane and barbaric act”, Joseph called for calm, saying the police and the country’s armed forces had taken control of the security situation.
Moise had been ruling Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, by decree, after legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed in the wake of disputes, including on when his own term ends.
In addition to the political crisis, kidnappings for ransom have surged in recent months, further reflecting the growing influence of armed gangs in the Caribbean nation.
The president faced steep opposition from swathes of the population that deemed his mandate illegitimate, and he churned through a series of seven prime ministers in four years. Joseph was slated to be replaced this week after only three months in the post.
