The President of Haiti has been assassinated in his own home.

Per BBC News, President Jovenel Moïse and his wife, First Lady Martine Moïse, were shot by an unidentified group of individuals at their private residence in Port-au-Prince at approximately 01:00 AM local time.

Moïse was killed outright, while reports say that his wife has been hospitalized and is allegedly in a critical condition.

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The Haitian embassy in Canada broke the news on Twitter in an official statement, tweeting: "It is with great sadness that we confirm the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, during an attack on his residence by mercenaries.

"The First Lady, injured, receives the necessary care. Our hearts go out to the presidential family and to the whole nation."

Per Sky News, acting Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph called the attack "hateful, inhumane and barbaric", adding: "Measures are being taken in order to ensure the continuity of the state and to protect the nation."

Joseph added that the attackers had spoken English and Spanish and that Haiti's National Police and other authorities had the situation under control with officers deployed to the National Palace and of Petion-Ville.

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BBC News reports that the president has faced accusations of corruption from his opposition during his tenure, with widespread protests throughout the country over poor living conditions and a lack of infrastructure.

The opposition has insisted that Moïse was supposed to step down from his position earlier this year. Meanwhile, parliamentary elections originally scheduled to take place back in 2019 have been continually delayed.

Back in February, President Moïse claimed that his administration had foiled an attempt on his life, which led to the arrests of 23 people, including a top judge and a senior police office.

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Moïse had originally assumed office back in 2016, and ruled by decree for more than two years after Parliament was dissolved.

Sky News reports that crime has surged in the Caribbean nation's capital city, while inflation has spiraled at the same time as food, fuel, and other necessities have become scarce.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy/EFE News Agency

President of Haiti assassinated in his own home after months of anti-government protests