The Haitian prime minister is urging Haitians to help find the killers, the new Conflict has called for unity

Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph on Thursday called on citizens to hand over the alleged killers of President Jovenel Moise to the police and not to lynch them amid a state of siege across the nation.

Hundreds of residents were arrested on suspicion of calling suspects outside the capital’s Port-au-Prince police station, shouting “they were burned” and setting fire to the alleged vehicle, the killer.

Arrested by Haitian police he fired four shots at the men Haitian police chiefs have been suspected of killing President Jovenel Moise and looking for heads of war behind the operation, a Haitian police chief said in a television news release on Thursday.

At least two suspects were believed to be free.

Police Chief Leon Charles described the killers as “mercenaries” and said security forces had a fierce gun battle with the alleged killers who survived late into the night and arrested six suspects while recovering three bodies. Police have been monitoring the area since early Thursday.

“We have physical authors, now we’re looking for intellectual authors,” Charles said.

Identities and details about the armed were still emerging. One of the men arrested is a Haitian-American citizen named James Solages, the Haitian election minister told the Associated Press. The U.S. State Department was unable to confirm that one of the detainees was a U.S. citizen.

President Moses was 53 years old he was killed in his private home On the morning of July 7, he appears to be a highly trained group of assassins, opening a political gap when Moses and other civilian leaders were preparing for elections and discussing revisions to the Haitian constitution.

Moise, elected in 2016, elected with less than 600,000 votes out of a potential 6.1 million, was sworn in as president in 2017. Opposition parties said Moses’ term was due to end in February, five years after he left office. trying to hold on to power by decree. Moses defended the term extended to 2022.

With 11 million nations, Haiti is the poorest country in America, with 4 million people living with hunger and widespread gang violence and armed groups that control large areas of the country, including many neighborhoods in the Haitian capital. COVID is facing an epidemic and has experienced political instability.

Joseph was appointed prime minister by Moses on July 5, with Ariel Henry, who was forming a new government at the time of the assassination. Henry did not swear, and he questions Joseph’s legitimacy.

According to the Haitian constitution, Moise should be replaced by the president of the Haitian Supreme Court, but in recent days the chief justice has died as a result of COVID-19, leaving the question of who could have his right in the office.

The UN special envoy for Haiti said on Thursday that Prime Minister Joseph will remain the leader of the Caribbean nation until elections are held, urging all parties to step down after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

“Stakeholders need to put aside their differences and draw a common way forward and overcome this difficult time peacefully,” UN envoy Haiti’s Helen La Lime said in a virtual media appearance from New York.

Joseph assured La Lime that the election will be held on September 26 with a second round in November this year, he said.

La Lim said a Security Council discussion Thursday was a request for additional security assistance in Haiti.

The UN peacekeeping mission began in 2004 after the then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide rebelled, ending in 2019 with the country still in turmoil.

Prime Minister Joseph is moving to “ensure the continuation of the state” after the assassination of Moses, “Haitian Ambassador Bocchit Edmond told MSNBC news on Thursday.

Edmond said Haiti is urging the U.S. to help with the investigation and provide security. The U.S. State Department said it was responding to a request for research assistance.

Haitian first lady Martine Moise was injured in the attack and flown to a U.S. hospital in Florida for medical attention.

Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic and Port-au-Prince airport was closed on Thursday national state of emergency Jose testified.

Public transportation and street vendors were scarce, an unusual sight for the noisy streets of Port-au-Prince.

Marco Destin, 39, was walking to see his family because there is no bus, known as a tap-tap, available. He had a loaf of bread for them because they had not left home since the president was assassinated for fear of their lives.

“Everyone in the house sleeps with one eye open and one eye closed,” he said. “If the head of state is not protected, I have no protection.”

Destiny said Haiti has always been a complicated country and was not sure what the coming days would bring. “Haiti doesn’t know which direction it’s going right now,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. There has always been a struggle for power. ”