Tensions rise in Haiti suburb after attacks leave bodies on street

Meanwhile, the capital has been paralyzed as fresh attacks broke out late last week, including a fire at the main prison that days earlier had been emptied of prisoners and the residence of the national police chief. Leaders of the armed groups who have long sought to oust Henry have warned of a "battle" for Haiti and threatened politicians who join the transition council.

More than 10 bodies were removed by ambulance from the affluent neighborhood of Petion-Ville on the outskirts of the Haitian capital, according to a Reuters witness on Monday, as tensions continue to simmer pending the announcement of a new government.

The bodies of the victims, who had been shot earlier in the morning, were removed from the main road leading into the suburb and from outside a gas station, the witness said. Authorities have yet to give more details. After reports of other morning attacks in the nearby area of Laboule, streets around Petion-Ville were practically deserted.

Meanwhile, the country's EDH electricity service said several stations had been attacked and that cables, batteries and documents were stolen. This comes amid an escalation in violence by armed groups threatening the lives of civilians and a political impasse that saw the United Nations, as well as U.S. and Canadian embassies, withdraw staff in recent days.

Under international pressure and stranded in Puerto Rico, the unelected Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation pending a temporary replacement a week ago, but the council set to choose his replacement has yet to be appointed. Regional leaders put forward a number of political associations set to participate in this council, but factions have struggled to unite and one group outright rejected the plan brokered by regional leaders in Jamaica.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the council's membership could be finalized "very soon," and that an update could come later on Monday. Local media reported Haiti's Catholic Church will not be participating to maintain its "moral distance," although it hoped the talks would lead to an "inclusive, durable agreement in the interests of all Haitian people," and that all sectors and active forces would seek a resolution to the crisis.

The church's episcopal council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the capital has been paralyzed as fresh attacks broke out late last week, including a fire at the main prison that days earlier had been emptied of prisoners and the residence of the national police chief.

Leaders of the armed groups who have long sought to oust Henry have warned of a "battle" for Haiti and threatened politicians who join the transition council. Residents are facing worsening shortages of food and medical care as shipping firms have changed routes. Over the weekend, the U.N.'s children's agency said one of its containers of "essential items" for maternal, neo-natal and childcare were stolen at Haiti's main port, and neighboring Dominican Republic evacuated dozens of citizens by helicopter.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)