President of Haiti Jovenal Moise ‘is assassinated by gunmen in nighttime raid on his home’
- Group of gunmen broke into Moise’s residence in Port-au-Prince, according to a statement from the prime minister published in full by local broadcaster Juno7
- Moise, 53, was shot dead and his wife Martine was also wounded in the attack
- PM Claude Joseph claimed the security situation in Haiti remained in hand
The President of Haiti Jovenel Moise has reportedly been assassinated in a nighttime raid on his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince.
A group of gunmen, some of whom allegedly spoke in Spanish, broke into Mr Moise’s home at around 1am on Wednesday, according to a statement from the prime minister published in full by local broadcaster Juno7.
The 53-year-old was shot dead and the First Lady Martine was also injured in the attack, PM Claude Joseph wrote.
He said that Haiti remained under the control of the police and armed forces and ‘all measures are taken to guarantee the continuity of the State and protect the Nation.’
The President of Haiti Jovenel Moise, 53, (pictured at the UN in New York in 2018) has been shot dead during a raid on the presidential palace, according to the prime minister’s office
Mr Moise and his wife Martine meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2016
A group of gunmen, some of whom allegedly spoke in Spanish, broke into Mr Moise’s home at around 1am on Wednesday, according to a statement from Prime Minister Claude Joseph. He said that Haiti remained under the control of the police and armed forces and ‘all measures are taken to guarantee the continuity of the State and protect the Nation.’
US-based Haitian singer-songwriter Wyclef Jean tweeted about the assassination on Wednesday morning
It comes after Moise claimed earlier this year that he was the victim of an assassination plot which had been foiled by police.
‘There was an attempt on my life,’ he said at the time in a national address. ‘I thank my head of security at the palace. The goal of these people was to make an attempt on my life. That plan was aborted.’
Haiti has been plagued by political turmoil which has saw thousands marching through the capital in February calling for a new government over claims that Mr Moise’s term had expired and he was ruling unconstitutionally.
The Caribbean island has suffered poverty and political instability for decades and has struggled to rebuild in the wake of a devastating earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
The Moise administration has been accused of financial impropriety over his decision to axe fuel subsidies.
In an interview last year, Mr Moise defended himself against allegations of corruptions and that he was turning the country in a dictatorship.
‘We’re trying to find a solution to this crisis. I’m not the first president to rule by decree. And I’m confident that the answer is around the corner; then the legislature will be put in place to play its role,’ he told The Telegraph.
Opponents argue he should have stepped down on February 7 and failed to hold elections the year before as his term was coming to an end.
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