As the impoverished and crisis-hit Caribbean nation was thrown into uncertainty, Haiti police executed four “mercenaries” they alleged were behind President Jovenel Moise’s assassination on Wednesday and put two more into jail.
The suspects in the gun attack on Moise and his wife Martine, who survived, at their private property in the capital Port-au-Prince in the early hours of Wednesday have not been identified, nor have police revealed their reasons.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced a national “state of siege” and said he was now in charge of the country as the UN Security Council scrambled to convene an emergency meeting for midday Thursday.
In Port-au-Prince, the airport was closed, but observers reported the city was peaceful, with streets abandoned and no additional security troops on patrol.
Since the attack, police have been scouring the city, they reported late Wednesday.
Moise’s house was attacked about 1:00 a.m. (0500 GMT). As forensics experts examined the site for evidence, shell casings could be spotted on the street outside, and a nearby automobile was perforated with gunshot holes, with one window shattered.
Moise’s wife was treated at a local hospital before being flown to the Ryder Trauma Center in Miami via air ambulance.
The assassins were “professional” mercenaries masquerading as US Drug Enforcement Administration officers, according to Haiti’s ambassador to Washington, Bocchit Edmond.
He said, “We have a video and we believe those are mercenaries.”
