00:00 Violent protests rocked Haiti near the capital Port-au-Prince, claiming the lives of five
00:17 armed environmental protection agents in clashes with police.
00:20 The unrest, demanding the ousting of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, has paralysed the nation
00:25 since Monday.
00:26 Tensions escalated as thousands took to the streets, demanding Henry's resignation in
00:31 accordance with a 2022 political accord.
00:34 The five agents from the National Agency for Protected Areas, now in open rebellion, were
00:39 fatally shot on Wednesday after refusing to disarm and engaging in gunfire with the police.
00:44 Three other agency members were subsequently arrested, adding to the chaos gripping the
00:48 country.
00:49 Prime Minister Henry, in a public address early Thursday, urged for calm amidst three
00:54 days of relentless protests.
00:56 However, his brief statement failed to assuage the anger and frustration felt by many Haitians,
01:01 exacerbated by ongoing gang violence, worsening poverty and the absence of scheduled elections.
01:07 Under an agreement reached in December 2022 following the assassination of President Jovenel
01:12 Moise, Henry was expected to organise elections and relinquish power to newly elected officials
01:17 by February 7, 2024.
01:19 However, Henry remains in office, citing intentions to establish a government of national unity.
01:25 Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has long been plagued by turmoil, with armed
01:29 gangs wrecking havoc and undermining the economy and healthcare system.
01:34 The 2021 assassination of President Moise deepened Haiti's crisis, leaving the presidency
01:38 vacant and elections suspended since 2016.
01:42 Opposition parties, along with employees of the Environmental Agency, have spearheaded
01:46 the protests.
01:47 Reports of violence extended to attacks on a police station in the north-eastern province
01:51 of Guanaminte.
01:53 Major roads and schools have shuttered across the country since Monday, prompting neighbouring
01:57 Dominican Republic to bolster its borders in response to the escalating unrest.
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