Haitian authorities reported that the country's prime minister, Ariel Henry, was able to survive an assassination attempt while attending a New Year's Day Mass to mark the nation's independence from France, fleeing to safety after the shootout.
The terrifying incident left one person dead, and Henry's office said on Monday that the perpetrators were "bandits and terrorists." The criminals allegedly put soldiers behind walls to shoot at his convoy and also threatened the bishop by surrounding the Cathedral of St. Charles Borromeo.
Haiti Assassination Attempt
The prime minister's office said that arrest warrants have been issued and officials called the situation "intolerable." In a Twitter post, Henry said he was thankful that the bishop of Gonaives and other church officials were doing their duty "despite the tense situation that reigned in the city."
A Haitian newspaper, Le Nouvelliste, was the one that reported s a single fatality and also revealed that at least two people were wounded during the shootout. The sudden incident prevented Henry from delivering his planned speech to those who were attending the mass, The Washington Post reported.
Video footage of the incident was uploaded on social media platforms and showed the Haitian prime minister and his entourage scrambling toward the safety of their vehicles as a collective of armed men were shooting outside the cathedral. Media outlets suggested the possibility of gang involvement in the shooting.
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Gangs in Haiti hold many parts of the country and their influence has only grown since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last July. Police authorities, who called the attack on Saturday the work of "armed groups," said they were unable to immediately confirm the number of casualties.
Local Gang Influence
Before the incident, a local gang boss in Haiti had made verbal threats against Henry in local media. The recent assault renewed concerns about the safety of officials within the region since the fatal shooting of the nation's president, Reuters reported.
Barely two weeks after Moise's assassination in the hands of suspected mercenaries, Henry was sworn in as the country's prime minister. His administration is currently facing mounting challenges to its legitimacy. The nation has yet to set a date to elect a successor to former President Moise.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, Henry said that the country's enemies, enemies of the Haitian people, were terrorists who had no hesitation in using violence to kill people with all their might or to kidnap, take away their freedom, to rape them. The prime minister said that the perpetrators were driven by their desire for money.
Henry has also pledged to crack down on gangs in the country that many authorities have blamed for the surge in kidnappings in the region. They are also believed to be responsible for blocking gas distribution terminals in a move that has caused a severe fuel shortage in recent months. The situation has forced the United States and Canada to urge their citizens in Haiti to leave and go back home to their native country amid threats to their livelihood and safety, Yahoo News reported.
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