Wilson Joseph, the leader of 400 Mawozo, wrote to António Guterres asking the United Nations to mediate a dialogue with international forces in Haití. The request followed his statement that he had “izado oficialmente la bandera blanca” on 20 August, and it arrives as El Salvador has sent more than 2,000 soldiers into the country.
In the letter, Joseph asked for a United Nations delegation to travel and hold talks with his group. The United Nations said on Monday night that it had received the letter, but Stéphane Dujarric said the receipt of such a letter does not amount to approval of its content, recognition of its author, or a position by the United Nations.
400 Mawozo in Croix-des-Bouquets
Joseph leads 400 Mawozo, a gang based in Croix-des-Bouquets, northeast of Puerto Príncipe. The group is known for kidnappings, including the abduction of 17 missionaries from Estados Unidos and Canadá in October 2021. The FBI offers a reward of one million dollars for information leading to Joseph’s arrest.
That history makes his outreach to the United Nations more than a routine appeal. Joseph is presenting himself as open to talks while leading a group linked to kidnappings and while remaining wanted by the FBI.
El Salvador and the Fuerza de Represión de Pandillas
El Salvador sent more than 2,000 soldiers to Haití at the end of October after four Salvadorans disappeared in an ambush on 18 October outside Puerto Príncipe. The four had been deployed in the Fuerza de Represión de Pandillas, the international contingent supported by the United Nations to help Haití fight gangs operating in its territory.
The Salvadoran deployment could reach 2,500 soldiers. Wilson Joseph said the four Salvadorans had died, but Haitian authorities still consider them missing and the Salvadoran government believes they are still alive.
United Nations distance from the letter
Joseph said he feared the Salvadoran intervention would trigger more reprisals against civilians. His letter seeks a United Nations role in opening direct contact with international forces, yet the United Nations has only acknowledged receiving it and has drawn a line between receipt and any approval of the message.
For now, the immediate question is whether the United Nations will send a delegation or open talks. That decision would shape whether Joseph’s appeal stays a letter on file or becomes the first formal channel between 400 Mawozo and the forces operating in Haití.
