SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – One of Haiti’s most powerful gangs said on Friday that it reached out to a government agency responsible for dismantling armed gangs in a push for “peace, stability and national reconciliation”.
The 400 Mawozo gang sent a three-page statement to The Associated Press stressing that “dialogue is not a capitulation”, but rather an “act of patriotic responsibility to preserve human lives”.
The United Nations and human rights groups have accused 400 Mawozo of raping, killing and kidnapping people, which it has denied.
On November 1, gang leader Wilson Joseph told the AP that he wrote to the UN secretary-general and requested that the organization send a delegation to Haiti for dialogue and mediation amid fears that the presence of Salvadoran troops could further escalate violence.
The gang, which refers to itself as a rebel group, said that it plans to participate in a peaceful demonstration later this month “in order to lay the groundwork for a national dialogue and peace negotiation process.”
“Haiti’s future cannot be built solely on confrontations and military operations,” it said.
An official with Haiti’s National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The letter was shared as Haitian police and foreign forces continue to battle gangs, with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé announcing on X late Friday that one gang leader was killed. He did not identify the gang leader, but a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the issue, confirmed it was the leader of the Nan Boston gang known as Mathias. Nan Boston operates in Cité Soleil, a gang-controlled slum in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
“The gangs won’t be getting any sleep!” the prime minister wrote on X.
The AP reached out to a spokesperson for 400 Mawozo and asked if the gang is willing to lay down its weapons.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they don’t want to be publicly identified to talk about these issues, responded that the gang is willing to engage in peace negotiations and that disarmament is a process.
When asked what 400 Mawozo seeks in exchange, the person said peace and the end of what they called “international interference”.
The gang’s announcement comes just weeks after El Salvador deployed more than 2,000 troops to Haiti following the disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians who came under attack on October 18 while deep in gang territory.
The United Nations has said that most of the Salvadoran personnel in Haiti are operating outside the framework of the UN-backed gang suppression force that is working with Haiti’s police and military as well as Vectus Global, the private security firm founded by former US Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince.
The gang said it believes it would be “beneficial” if all “relevant military forces” suspend operations targeting certain areas pending the “effective opening of a dialogue on peace and stability”.
“This period should provide an opportunity for de-escalation, the protection of civilian populations, and the search for a lasting political solution,” it wrote.
In its letter, 400 Mawozo said it was worried about social media posts “targeting” the home of Joseph, best known as Lanmò Sanjou, especially comments attributed to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
On Friday, Bukele responded to a social media post in which he was tagged and allegedly showing Joseph’s home. “Where is that house? Give us the exact address, and we’ll destroy it”, Bukele wrote on X.
In its letter, the gang described Joseph’s home as “a symbol of peace within the framework of its de-escalation process” and called on “all parties to respect international obligations relating to the protection of civilians and civilian property”.
The gang referenced certain articles within the Geneva Conventions as well as the Charter of the United Nations.
El Salvador’s government declined to comment when reached by the AP on Friday night.
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