United Nations-. The increase in violence in several Colombian departments such as Chocó, Putumayo and Arauca worries the UN today, underlines the latest report on the implementation of the peace agreement in that country.
According to the report by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, civilians have been hardest hit by this wave of violence, including indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.
The clashes between the National Liberation Army and dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Colombian People’s Army (FARC-EP) aggravated this situation, the headline said.
He also expressed grave concern for the safety of former FARC-EP members, recalling that since the signing of the peace agreement in September 2016, 315 of them have been murdered and 11 of these crimes have been committed in the last quarter.
The deteriorating security situation in different areas of Colombia is having an increasing impact on productive projects and cooperatives, stressed Guterres, calling on the Bogotá government to enable the protection of these people, particularly in the areas of reintegration and training.
He also insisted on the need to adequately address the risks and special needs of female ex-combatants.
For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs registered more than 13,000 forcibly displaced people in Colombia between January 1 and March 15 this year.
Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights received information about the killing of 43 activists and society leaders, including four women.
In this context, they considered the full implementation by the authorities of the safety guarantees to reinforce prevention and protection measures to be urgent.
The UN Verification Mission to Colombia this week released the Secretary-General’s assessment of progress and challenges in implementing the final peace agreement in Colombia over the period December 28, 2021 to March 25, 2022.
This document indicates that several advances made “will remain at risk unless firm and effective steps are taken to consolidate security across the country in the comprehensive manner envisaged in the final agreement”.