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Haiti: What We Know 


Security forces investigate the perimeters of the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 7, 2021. Gunmen assassinated Moise and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday.
Security forces investigate the perimeters of the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 7, 2021. Gunmen assassinated Moise and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday.

Officials in Haiti say four people suspected in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse were killed in a shootout with police. Two others, described as “mercenaries,” were arrested during the shootout.

The Wednesday assassination of Moïse during an attack on his private home in a Port-au-Prince suburb prompted interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph to take charge of the country and declare a state of siege.

First lady Martine Moïse, who was also shot during the attack, is in stable but critical condition and has been transferred to a hospital in Miami for treatment, according to Haiti’s ambassador to the United States.

U.S. President Joe Biden has condemned the assassination and expressed condolences in a statement issued by the White House.

The U.N. Security Council will meet Thursday to discuss the events in Haiti.

Haiti has been experiencing political instability and division, as well as a rise in gang violence.

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