PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Haiti's presidential transitional council, which has run the impoverished Caribbean nation for nearly two years, on Saturday handed power to US-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, after failing to rein in rampant gang violence. The transfer of power between the nine-member council, created in April 2024, and 54-year-old businessman Fils-Aime took place under tight security, given Haiti's unstable political climate. Mr Prime Minister, in this historic moment, I know that you are gauging the depth of the responsibility you are taking on for the country," council president Laurent Saint-Cyr told Fils-Aime. For years, Haiti -- the poorest country in the Americas -- has been in the throes of deadly gang violence, with frequent murders, rapes and kidnappings. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stressed "the importance of his continued tenure as Haiti's prime minister to combat terrorist gangs and stabilize the island."

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 08, 2026 14:35 UTC