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Haiti's slain President Jovenel Moïse (archive image)
Photo: JEAN MARC HERVE ABELARD / EPA
After the fatal attack on Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse, concerns about a total collapse of public order in the country are growing.
UN Secretary General António Guterres urged all Haitians to uphold the constitutional order and to remain united.
The United Nations would continue to stand by the government and people of Haiti.
Strangers had entered Moïse's residence on Wednesday night and shot him.
His wife was also injured in the attack.
Haiti's Prime Minister Claude Joseph said after the attack that the attackers were English and Spanish-speaking "foreigners".
The attackers were also trained and heavily armed.
However, according to the AP news agency, Joseph did not say who could be behind the attack and whether there were arrests.
Confusion over alleged involvement of US unit
US media had previously reported that the murderers Moïses had posed as officials of the US anti-drug agency DEA and published audio and video recordings.
Haiti's ambassador to the United States has denied such rumors, according to Reuters news agency.
Ambassador Bochhit Edmond said it was impossible that they were DEA agents.
Prime Minister Joseph declared a state of emergency in the country after the attack.
"In strict application" of Article 149 of the Constitution, Joseph declared that he had chaired an extraordinary Council of Ministers.
"We have decided to declare a state of siege across the country." The government gave Joseph additional powers.
Haiti has been in deep crisis for years
Haiti has been in a political crisis for years, the country suffers from massive corruption and is extremely impoverished.
Supporters and opponents of Moïse had recently argued, among other things, about when his term of office began.
In Haiti, the presidency lasts five years and always begins on February 7th after the elections.
The presidential election in October 2015, in which Moïse was elected in the first round, was canceled due to fraud.
A year later he was declared the winner in the second round of the repeat election and finally sworn in on February 7, 2017.
Moïse therefore asserted that his term of office did not begin until 2017 and that he was therefore allowed to continue to rule.
In February, security forces apparently thwarted a coup against Moïse.
More than 20 people were arrested.
The plot was aimed at killing him, Moïse later said at a press conference, but did not give any further details.
Most recently, violence between rival gangs escalated in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and thousands of people were driven from their homes.
International community appalled by the bloody act
UN Secretary General Guterres called for a comprehensive investigation after the attack.
"The perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice."
"We are shocked and sad to learn of the terrible murder of President Jovenel Moïse and the attack on First Lady Martine Moïse," said
US President
Joe Biden
in a statement.
"We condemn this heinous act."
France's Foreign Minister
Yves Le-Drian also
called for calm.
"I appeal to all political actors in Haiti to keep calm and restraint."
The EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter that the act "carries the risk of instability and a spiral of violence".
Great Britain
Prime Minister
Boris Johnson
condoled the family and the people of Haiti.
"This is a despicable act and I call for calm."
The
Colombian president Ivan Duque
appealed to the community of American States to immediately send a mission to Haiti to protect democracy.
Duque spoke of a "barbaric act against all the people of Haiti".
fek / dpa / Reuters