Haitian President Jovenel Moise has been shot dead by gunmen with heavy-calibre weapons in his private residence overnight, sparking an international outcry amid fears of a descent into chaos in the impoverished country.
The assassination, which drew condemnation from the US and neighbouring Latin American countries, followed a spate of gang violence in Port-au-Prince in recent months fuelled by a growing humanitarian crisis and political unrest.
The disorder has turned many districts of the capital into no-go zones.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said in televised remarks after chairing a cabinet meeting that the government had declared a two-week state of emergency as it launched a hunt for the killers.
Authorities in the country, where the majority speak French or Haitian Creole, said the gunmen spoke English and Spanish and appeared to include foreigners.
"My compatriots, remain calm because the situation is under control," Mr Joseph said in his address, backed by a row of sombre-faced officials.
A man looks at the bullet holes in a car outside the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moise where he was assassinated on 7 July 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Ha Source: VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images
"This blow has wounded this country, this nation, but it will not go unpunished."
The president's wife, Martine Moise, was also shot in the attack at about 1 am at the couple's home in the hills above Port-au-Prince.
She is in critical condition and efforts are underway to bring her to Miami for treatment, Haiti's ambassador to the United States said.
In videos circulating on social media that Reuters was not able to verify, the gunmen, whose faces cannot be made out, can be heard yelling that they were the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as they entered Mr Moise's guarded residence under cover of nightfall before bursts of shots rang out.
Haiti's ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said the gunmen had falsely identified themselves as DEA agents.
He told Reuters in an interview Haitian authorities would welcome US security assistance after the assassination.
A US government source denied the DEA had anything to do with the assassination.
Many people in Haiti had wanted Mr Moise to leave office.
Ever since he took over in 2017, he faced calls to resign and mass protests, first over corruption allegations and his management of the economy, then over his increasing grip on power.
Mr Joseph said the police and army had the situation under control although Haiti's security forces are widely deemed to be understaffed and under-equipped compared to its powerful gangs.
Several police officers have died in recent weeks in attempts to wrestle back territory from heavily armed bandits.
The streets of the usually bustling capital were deserted on Wednesday morning after the attack and intermittent gunfire overnight, with all businesses closed.
The international airport of Port-au-Prince was also closed, according to local media.
The airport director could not immediately be reached for comment.
But with Haiti politically polarised and facing growing hunger, fears of a breakdown in order are spreading.
Haitian police and forensics look for evidence outside of the residence of Haiti President Jovenel Moise where he was assassinated on 7 July 2012. Source: VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images
The Dominican Republic closed the border it shares with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, except to returning citizens, and beefed up security.
"This crime is an attack against the democratic order of Haiti and the region," Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said.
Leaders worldwide condemned the assassination and appealed for calm.
"We stand ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti," US President Joe Biden said, denouncing the killing as "heinous" and calling the situation worrisome.
The UN Security Council expressed deep shock and sympathy over Mr Moise's death ahead of a closed-door meeting on Thursday, requested by the United States and Mexico, to evaluate the situation.
Mr Moise's murder comes amid a power vacuum.
He had ruled by decree for more than a year after the country failed to hold legislative elections and just this week had appointed Mr Joseph, who has yet to be sworn in as prime minister.
The head of the Supreme Court of Justice died last month of Covid-19 and has yet to be replaced.
An extraordinary issue of the official gazette on Wednesday said the prime minister and his cabinet would assume executive powers until a new president could be elected, as per Haiti's constitution.
