One of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders, Wilson Joseph, known as Lanmò Sanjou and leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, has reached out to the United Nations, requesting the deployment of a delegation for dialogue and mediation. The letter was sent Monday amid escalating clashes and fears of reprisals following the disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians.
Joseph, whose gang primarily operates in Croix-des-Bouquets near Port-au-Prince, characterized his group as a “rebel group” in the two-page letter, which was confirmed as received by the UN from a source not authorized to discuss the matter. He expressed concern that remarks by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who deployed over 2,000 troops to Haiti after the incident, could lead to “an escalation of violence and a logic of reprisals.”
In his letter, Joseph stated his availability to participate in any meeting aimed at finding a peaceful solution and a sustainable stabilization process. “I remain convinced that dialogue must prevail over force,” he wrote, emphasizing that “the protection of civilians, particularly children and vulnerable families, must be at the heart of any international initiative.” He claimed to have “officially raised the white flag” since August 20.
The 400 Mawozo gang has been implicated in numerous kidnappings, including the October 2021 abduction of 17 missionaries, 16 from the U.S. and one from Canada. The U.S. government has a $1 million reward for Joseph, who faces charges in the U.S. related to hostage-taking.
More than 5,700 people have been killed or injured in Haiti from January to mid-September, according to the UN. Violence has intensified following operations by a gang-suppression force, Haitian police and soldiers, and Vectus Global, a private security firm founded by Erik Prince, against armed groups in Plaine du Cul-de-Sac after the attack on the Salvadoran technicians.