Wilson Joseph, leader of the Haitian gang coalition 400 Mawozo, has asked the United Nations to mediate peace talks with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele amid rising tensions over the abduction of four Salvadoran soldiers. (Foto: Instagram)
Wilson Joseph, leader of the Haitian gang coalition 400 Mawozo, asked the United Nations to mediate peace talks with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. The request, made Sunday, Nov. 1, came after El Salvador sent more than 2,000 troops to Haiti following the disappearance of four Salvadoran soldiers in a confrontation with Haitian criminal coalitions.
Joseph, also known as Lanmò San Jou, addressed his appeal to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in a letter seeking a truce. The 400 Mawozo coalition operates in Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince. Salvadoran soldiers were attacked in that area on Oct. 18.
Haiti is experiencing a severe public security crisis, with criminal coalitions controlling about 80% of Port-au-Prince, according to the report. The U.N. backed the creation of the Gang Suppression Force, which includes El Salvador and several other countries from the Global South. On Oct. 18, four Salvadoran troops assigned to security in the capital went to a local market to buy supplies. Their vehicle was shot at as they passed through Croix-des-Bouquets, and gangs abducted them. Their captors are suspected of holding them hostage.
After learning of the abductions, Bukele issued an ultimatum demanding the soldiers’ release. The gangs did not respond, and Bukele ordered 2,000 troops sent to Haiti to try to rescue the Salvadorans alive. The deployment preceded Joseph’s request for a truce. Haitian media reported that Joseph said the coalitions had been expressing willingness since August to pursue a peaceful solution to the national crisis through talks between the international forces in Haiti and 400 Mawozo.
Joseph warned that civilians could suffer if the situation escalates. In the letter, he said he feared that Bukele’s “vengeful statements, expectations and threats” could lead to an escalation of violence and reprisals, with the Haitian people becoming the first victims. The appeal links the request for dialogue to the risk of further violence amid the troop deployment.
400 Mawozo operates mainly in Croix-des-Bouquets, a community near Port-au-Prince. The gang has been associated with kidnappings, extortion, trafficking, killings and gang rape of women and minors, which it reportedly uses as a “terror tactic” to instill fear and command respect among residents. In one of the group’s most widely known abductions, 17 missionaries—16 from the United States and one from Canada—were kidnapped. The group included five children. All the captives were later released after third parties paid a large ransom.
The U.S. government has offered a $1 million reward for Joseph. He has been indicted in the United States on charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. The reward and charges concern the gang leader who is now calling for U.N.-mediated talks.
