Haiti: 400 Mawozo gang leader asks the UN to mediate talks with international forces

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Wilson Joseph, known as “Lanmò San Jou” and identified as the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, asked the United Nations (UN) to mediate negotiations with the international forces operating in the country, according to a letter dated November 1 and addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

In the document, released on 400 Mawozo letterhead and bearing a name and signature attributed to Joseph, the sender says that since last August 20 he raised a white flag as a sign of willingness to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and asks the UN to send a delegation to facilitate talks between his organization and the international forces deployed in Haitian territory.

The letter's authenticity has not been independently confirmed, and so far it has not been confirmed that the UN has formally received the document or that any negotiation process with the armed organization exists, according to the Dominican outlet De Último Minuto.

The request comes amid the offensive against the gangs and the deployment of more than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers to reinforce operations and locate four military personnel from that country reported missing after an ambush on October 18.

The letter also refers to clashes in the Cul-de-Sac plain and mentions alleged civilian casualties during the operations, claims that have not been corroborated by independent sources, so it is not possible to establish the circumstances of the reported events.

Wilson Joseph has been on the UN Security Council sanctions list since December 2023, over serious human rights violations and criminal activities attributed to 400 Mawozo, including murders, kidnappings and attacks against civilians.

Photo: Archivo A Lo Claro

Source: De Último Minuto