Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, paving way for new government

Police patrol the Champ de Mars area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Ramon Espinosa/AP)

Ariel Henry has resigned as prime minister of Haiti, leaving the way clear for a new government to be formed in the Caribbean country which has been wracked by gang violence.

Mr 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.