President of Haiti assassinated in his home

Moise, 53, was killed in an attack at his home in Port-au-Prince after being stormed by unidentified armed men referred to as an “armed commando group” at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT), according to officials.

The country’s interim prime minister, Claude Joseph, has confirmed the events that took place in his private home.

La résidence du président de la République, Jovenel Moïse attaquée vers 1h du matin ce mercredi, il est blessé mortellement, selon le pm ai @claudejoseph03.Blessée par balle, la Première Dame prend les soins que nécessite son cas. pic.twitter.com/BuHKv5cFwf

— Marie Samuelle Charles (@SamuelleCharles) July 7, 2021

He also said the First Lady, Martine Moise, has been taken to hospital for treatment; the extent of her injuries are not yet known, though they are believed to be serious.

Joseph said the attack was carried out by a group of unidentified people overnight. This comes amid deepening political and economic stability and a spike in gang violence in Haiti. Moise has faced accusations of corruption and seen several violent anti-government protests.

Back in February, the country of Haiti slid into anarchy as the economic disaster and disagreements over whether Moise should still be in office led to explosions, kidnappings and an overall ramp-up in organised crime.

Moise replaced Michel Martelly in 2017, after a year-long delay caused by allegations of electoral fraud which ultimately saw the result of the 2015 election being annulled and fresh polls carried out.

The country’s leading opposition parties, judiciary and activist groups said the Haitian President’s five-year term ended back then, but Moise claimed he had one year left in office since an interim government ran the country for over a year after his election win was placed under scrutiny.

Joseph labelled the assassination an “odious, hateful, inhumane and barbaric act” but reassured that Haiti’s National Police and other authorities have the ever-unfolding situation under control.

He went on to say that “all measures had been taken to guarantee to continuance of the state”, but the political unrest and violence in the Caribbean nation are likely to continue as authorities search for his killer(s) and detractors will no doubt lobby to unseat his temporary replacement.