President of Haiti Jovenel Moïse has been assassinated at his home, the interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph confirmed.
In a statement in French, he said: ‘At around one in the morning on the night of Tuesday July 6 to Wednesday July 7, 2021, a group of unidentified individuals – some of whom spoke Spanish and English – attacked the private residence of the President of the Republic and mortally wounded the Head of State.
Dr Joseph described the attackers as a ‘group of unidentified individuals’ with some speaking in Spanish and English, as he condemned the ‘hateful, inhumane and barbaric act’.
He called for calm, saying that “all measures had been taken to guarantee the continuity of the state”.
First Lady Martine Moïse was also hurt in the attack and is currently being treated in hospital.
It is not yet known how serious her injuries are.
Mr Moïse had been in power since 2017 but had faced widespread protests demanding his resignation.
The streets of the capital appeared to be largely empty on Wednesday morning, but questions remain about how much control Mr Joseph can assert in a nation plagued by political instability and gang violence.
The neighbouring Dominican Republic ordered the “immediate closure” of its border with Haiti.
Source: BBC