Marie Yolène Gilles rejects any dialogue with the gangs and wants stronger forces

Marie Yolène Gilles, head of the Fondasyon Je Klere (FJKL), rules out any negotiation with armed groups. She is calling for more resources to go to the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H), according to Scoop FM. She spoke on Friday, November 6, 2026, in Port-au-Prince, on the program IMPASSE. She believes the gangs can no longer escape sanctions, given the violence the population has suffered.

Lanmò San Jou calls for UN mediation

Lanmò San Jou, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, has written to the United Nations (UN) asking for mediation to support a dialogue for peace. Marie Yolène Gilles criticizes this initiative. She says it must not make people forget the abuses attributed to the gangs, and sees it as an attempt to improve their image.

Violations blamed on the armed groups

According to the head of the FJKL, the gangs are flouting international humanitarian law. She cites attacks on civilians, kidnappings, killings, acts of torture and the destruction of residents' property. She also mentions alliances between armed groups, including the Village-de-Dieu and Bawon Plèn units, which are said to be involved in violence. To illustrate the toll kidnappings take on families, she points to James Boyard, who has been held since June 11 along with his young daughter.

She is asking the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee to support Haiti. The figures put forward during her appearance indicate that more than 80% of the territory is said to be in the hands of the gangs. They also point to blocked national roads, the closure of Toussaint-Louverture International Airport, 98 police stations, substations and outposts destroyed, and four civilian prisons. Around 1.5 million people are said to have fled the violence.

Contract with mercenaries and the Salvadoran option

Marie Yolène Gilles is demanding the suspension of the contract signed with foreign mercenaries paid to fight the gangs. In her view, their operations have produced nothing satisfactory. She proposes putting those resources toward the PNH and the FAd'H, and argues for closer military cooperation with El Salvador.

The proposal comes after four Salvadoran soldiers went missing on October 18 in the Santo area. El Salvador has since sent troops to Haiti to take part in the search. She believes Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's approach could deter the armed groups, provided it stays within a legal framework. In her view, the Haitian authorities must restore the authority of the State.