Haiti President, Jovenel Moise has been assassinated by unknown gunmen in his private residence in what the government described as a ‘Barbaric act.’

The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday night fueling fears of escalating violence in the poor Caribbean nation.

This assassination coincides with a wave of gang violence in Port-au-Prince where armed groups battled with police for control of the streets in recent months.

The violence has tuned many of the city’s streets to no-go areas as residents hurdled indoors in fear.

Claude Joseph, the country’s interim Prime Minister, confirmed the assassination of President Jovenel Moise adding that the gunmen broke into the late President’s home at about 1:00am on Tuesday night.

In his statement, he said that, “He was fatally wounded by a group of unidentified men, some of whom were speaking Spanish.

Joseph called for calm in the country and reassured citizens that the police and armed forces are in control of the situation, and all measures are taken to guarantee the continuity of the State and protect the nation.”

Jovenel is the 58th President of Haiti from 2017.

The 53-year-old wife of the President, Martine Moise was also shot in the attack and is reported to be receiving and is receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

Haiti President Jovenel Moise was shot dead by unidentified attackers overnight, stirring fears of another bout of turmoil in a country that has suffered cycles of violence, invasion and repression.

Here are some key events in Haiti's political history 👇https://t.co/QE04p49alj

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 7, 2021

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