Haitian Gang Leader: Requesting UN Delegation Amid Salvadoran Troop Deployment

Wilson Joseph, the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti, confirmed on Monday that he sent a letter to the U.N. Secretary General on November 1. In the two-page document, Joseph requested that the organization deploy a delegation to the country for dialogue and mediation. He stated that he has officially raised the white flag since August 20 and seeks a peaceful solution to the national crisis.

Joseph gave his first interview to a major international media company, The Associated Press, amid intensifying clashes in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac region near Port-au-Prince. The violence escalated after the disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians on October 18. Joseph told the AP that the technicians are dead and that the attack occurred while they were in the territory of a rival gang known as Chen Mechan. He did not provide evidence for this claim. Haiti's government stated the four were abducted, while the Salvadoran government believes they are alive.

The U.N.-backed gang-suppression force, working alongside Haitian police and soldiers as well as the private security firm Vectus Global, began fighting armed men in the area following the attack. Joseph expressed frustration that drone attacks are killing civilians. He accused the same Haitian politicians who armed gangs of bringing foreign troops to destroy them. He also alleged that politicians are warning him about security operations headed toward his territory.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele recently deployed 2,000 troops to Haiti. Joseph directed a message to Bukele, saying that Haitian politicians are the fathers of the gangs and rebels. He warned in his letter that Bukele's vengeful remarks and threats could lead to an escalation of violence and a logic of reprisals, making the Haitian people the first victims. Joseph said he is available to receive a peace commission and will discuss terms for laying down guns during those meetings.

The 400 Mawozo gang operates largely in Croix-des-Bouquets, a community near Port-au-Prince. A spokesperson for the group, who declined to be identified, accused the government of abandoning the area. This neglect is why Joseph took charge, the spokesperson said. The gang is known for kidnappings, including the October 2021 abduction of 17 missionaries, 16 from the U.S. and one from Canada. All 17, including five children, were eventually released. The spokesperson denied these were kidnappings, calling them a justice measure related to sexual abuse charges against a former missionary.

The U.S. government has issued a $1 million reward for Joseph. He was indicted in the U.S. in 2022 on charges of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and hostage taking. The spokesperson said the gang is not a terrorist organization and that young people lacking education are being killed by forces allegedly used by politicians. Joseph rejected accusations that 400 Mawozo has killed innocent Haitians, though he acknowledged the group's role in the region's instability.

According to the U.N., more than 5,700 people have been killed or injured across Haiti from January to mid-September. Joseph wrote that he is convinced dialogue must prevail over force. He stated that the protection of civilians, particularly children and vulnerable families, must be at the heart of any international initiative. He described recent events in Chen Mechan territory as causing serious concern and affirmed his willingness to participate in any meeting aimed at finding a sustainable stabilization process.