UN chief welcomes establishment of transitional presidential council in Haiti

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the establishment of a transitional presidential council in Haiti, the Caribbean country ravaged by gang violence.

Guterres urged all Haitian stakeholders to continue making progress in putting in place transitional governance arrangements, including the timely appointment of an interim prime minister and government, and the nomination of the members of the provisional electoral council, according to a statement.

"The Secretary-General takes note of the functions of the Transitional Presidential Council, including working with all members of the international community to accelerate the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission authorized by Security Council Resolution 2699 (2023).

"He reiterates his call on all Member States to contribute to the MSS," it added.

Haiti's government on Friday formalized the creation of a nine-member transitional presidential council to restore security.

Political deadlock and surging gang violence in the country escalated after President Jovenel Moise's assassination in 2021. Thousands have been killed in the conflict while hundreds of thousands have fled the country.