PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti— Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister of Haiti on Thursday, leaving the way clear for a new government to be formed in the country, which has been wracked by gang violence.

According to a report from the Associated Press (AP), Henry presented his resignation in a letter signed in Los Angeles, dated April 24, and released on Thursday by his office on the same day a council tasked with choosing a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti was due to be sworn in.

A month ago, Henry had agreed to step down as prime minister once the council was installed and a new prime minister was selected.

The nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, is also expected to help set the agenda of a new Cabinet. It will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place, and establish a national security council, AP said.

The international news outlet added that the council’s non-renewable mandate expires on February 7, 2026, at which date a new president is scheduled to be sworn in.

Gangs laid siege to Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas with coordinated attacks beginning on February 29.

“They burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that has remained closed since early March and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. Gangs also have severed access to Haiti’s biggest port,” AP said.

The increased gang violence began while Henry was on an official visit in Kenya urging the deployment of the promised police force from the African nation. He has still not been able to return to the Caribbean country.

A recent UN report stated that more than 2,500 people were killed or injured in Haiti between January and March of 2024.