President of Haiti assassinated at home
- By Reuters -
- Jul 07, 2021
PORT-AU-PRINCE: A group of unidentified individuals attacked the private resident of Haitian President Jovenel Moise overnight and shot him dead, Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in a statement early on Wednesday.
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
Moise’s wife was injured and was receiving medical care, Joseph said in a statement.
The attack occurred amid a rising wave of politically linked violence in the impoverished Caribbean nation. With Haiti politically divided, and facing a growing humanitarian crisis and shortages of food, there are fears of widespread disorder.
“All measures are being taken to guarantee the continuity of the state and to protect the nation,” Joseph said. Gunshots could be heard throughout the capital.
Port-au-Prince had been suffering an increase in violence as gangs battle one another and police for control of the streets.
That violence was fueled by an increase in poverty and political instability. Moise has faced fierce protests since he took office as president in 2017, with the opposition accusing him this year of seeking to install a dictatorship by overstaying his mandate and becoming more authoritarian – charges he denied.