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Haiti Prime Minister Appeals for Calm After President Shot Dead

VOA News

   Haitian interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph has appealed for calm
   after President Jovenel Moïse was shot dead overnight in an attack at
   his private residence.

   In a statementWednesday, Joseph said an unidentified group of people
   who attacked the president's private residence, located in a suburb of
   the capital, Port-au-Prince, were responsible for the killing, which he
   called a "hateful, inhuman and barbaric act."

   Josephdescribed the attackers as "foreigners" during an interview with
   a Port-au-Prince radio station Wednesday morning and saidsome group
   members spoke in Spanish.

   He also said Moïse's wife, Martine, was injured and taken to a
   hospital for treatment.
   "The president's wife is alive and is being treated," Joseph confirmed
   to local radio station Magik 9.

   Josephsaid the national police force is in control of the situation now
   and that measures have been taken to "protect the nation."He vowed to
   ensure the continuity of government adding that "we are a democracy."
   Joseph said he had met with officials of the National Police Force and
   that he plans to address the nation later today.
   The U.S. is "assessing" the attack andU.S.President Joe Biden will be
   briefed on the situation inHaiti, WhiteHouse Press Secretary Jen Psaki
   told MSNBC.
   Haiti has been experiencing political instability and division as well
   as a rise in gang violence.

   Last weekin Port-au-Prince,gang leader Jimmy Cherisier, who is known by
   the nickname Barbeque, took to the streets to protest Moise's
   government, calling on him to resign.
   "Jovenel (Moise) must go!" Cherisier told reporters during the protest.
   "A new group of people needs to lead this country and we must sit
   together around a table, have a national dialogue so we can redefine
   this country."

   SandraLemaire in Washington andMatiadoVilme in Port-au-Prince
   contributed to this report, whichincludes information from the
   Associated Press, AFP and Reuters

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