Haitian President Jovenel Moïse has been killed in an attack on his home in the country’s capital, according to the interim prime minister, while first lady Martine Moïse was injured.
Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse killed in attack on his home
Claude Joseph said the president’s home in Port-au-Prince which was stormed by unidentified gunmen at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT).
First lady Martine Moïse was wounded in the attack.
Joseph said that “all measures have been taken to ensure the continuity of the state.” He called the shooting of the president a “heinous, inhuman and barbaric act.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was “shocked and saddened by Moïse’s death,” calling it an “abominable act” and calling for calm.
I am shocked and saddened at the death of President Moïse. Our condolences are with his family and the people of Haiti. This is an abhorrent act and I call for calm at this time.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 7, 2021
The White House called the murder a “horrible crime.” The neighboring Dominican Republic ordered the “immediate closure” of its border with Haiti.
Jovenel Moïse, 53, had been in power since February 2017. There were widespread demonstrations in the capital and other cities earlier this year as people demanded his resignation.
His time in office was difficult as he faced corruption allegations and was challenged by waves of often violent anti-government protests.
The Haitian opposition said Moïse’s five-year term should have ended on February 7, 2021, but there was a one-year delay in elections following Martelly’s departure, and Moïse insisted he had one more year in office.
In February this year, on the day the opposition wanted him to leave office, Moïse said that an attempt to kill him and overthrow his government had been foiled.
