SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico —
A leading Haitian gang commander has addressed the United Nations Secretary‑General, urging the UN to send a delegation to Haiti for dialogue and mediation amid rising concerns that the deployment of Salvadoran troops following the abduction of aviation technicians may provoke further violence.
Wilson Joseph, also known as Lanmò Sanjou and head of the 400 Mawozo gang, sent the letter on Monday, which the United Nations has received. The document labels the 400 Mawozo as a “rebel group” and was reportedly dispatched from Plaine du Cul‑de‑Sac, the site of an attack on four Salvadoran aviation technicians on October 18 that left them missing.
The incident prompted El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, to dispatch more than 2,000 troops to Haiti.
In his correspondence, Joseph warned that Bukele’s recent threats and provocations risked a cycle of retaliation that could devastate Haiti’s civilian population.
He emphasized that recent events in Plaine du Cul‑de‑Sac, particularly the presence of the Chen Mechan gang, are raising serious alarm.
Joseph stated he is “officially available” to host the requested delegation and would “participate actively” in any meeting focused on a peaceful resolution, dialogue agreement, and a sustainable stabilization process.
“I remain convinced that dialogue must prevail over force,” he declared. “The protection of civilians, especially children and vulnerable families, must be central to any international effort,” Joseph wrote.
Over 5,700 individuals have been killed or wounded in Haiti between January and mid‑September, according to the United Nations. Tensions have escalated as a gang‑suppression operation—jointly led by Haitian law‑enforcement and military forces, and supported by Vectus Global, a private security company founded by former U.S. Navy SEAL and Blackwater pioneer Erik Prince—has begun engaging armed combatants in Plaine du Cul‑de‑Sac near Port‑au‑Prince after the abduction of Salvadoran personnel.
The two‑page letter notes that Joseph has “raised the white flag” since August 20, seeking a peaceful solution to the national crisis by establishing dialogue between the international actors present in Haiti and the 400 Mawozo gang.
The 400 Mawozo, loosely translated as “400 Simpletons,” operates primarily in Croix‑des‑Bouquets, a neighbourhood near Port‑au‑Prince. The organization is notorious for orchestrating dozens of kidnappings, most notably the October 2021 abduction of 17 missionaries—including six Canadians and one from the United States—whose five children were finally liberated.
The United States has offered a $1 million bounty for Joseph, who was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit and conspiracy to take hostages.
