By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse has been killed in an attack on his private residence, according to a statement by interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph.
Joseph said the president’s residence in Port-au-Prince was stormed by unidentified armed men at 01:00 local time (05:00 GMT).
The First Lady was reportedly also injured in the attack.
Joseph said that “all measures had been taken to guarantee to continuance of the state”.
Jovenel Moïse, 53, had been in power since February 2017, after his predecessor, Michel Martelly stepped down.
Moïse’s time in office was rocky as he faced accusations of corruption and was challenged by waves of often violent anti-government protests.
The president faced steep opposition from swathes of the population that deemed his mandate illegitimate, and he churned through a series of seven prime ministers in four year. Most recently, Joseph was supposed to be replaced this week after only three months in the post.
In addition to presidential, legislative and local elections, Haiti was due to have a constitutional referendum in September after it was twice postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Supported by Moise, the text of the constitutional reform, aimed at strengthening the executive branch, has been overwhelmingly rejected by the opposition and many civil society organizations.
The constitution currently in force was written in 1987 after the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship and declares that “any popular consultation aimed at modifying the Constitution by referendum is formally prohibited.”
This is a developing story, and we expect to receive more updates throughout the day.