The Government of Colombia suspends the ceasefire with FARC dissidents after the death of four minors

( Spanish) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the suspension ceasefire with the dissident armed group Estado Mayor Central (EMC-FARC), made up of former FARC members, who rejected a peace agreement in 2016.

The president said that the Government “made the unilateral decision to partially suspend the effects of Decree 2656 of 2022”, by which a bilateral ceasefire was agreed with the Central General Staff of the FARC-EP, for the “murder” of four minors allegedly by the Carolina Ramírez front of the EMC in Putumayo. The Office of the High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia responsible this Saturday in front of Carolina Ramírez of the EMC-FARC of the facts.

According to the statement, the minors were kidnapped and later killed when the group tried to recruit them.

“We emphatically reject this criminal conduct of the Carolina Ramírez front of the EMC-FARC that ignores IHL and constitutes an attack on peace,” said the Office of the High Commissioner for La Paz.

Petro said on Saturday that the murder of these four minors is “an atrocious crime, a slap to peace that violates the foundations of International Humanitarian Law.”

Offensive operations continue

This Monday, the Government said in a statement that the bilateral ceasefire that was in force in the departments of Meta, Caquetá, Guaviare and Putumayo -areas in the center and southwest of the country, which historically has been hit by war- has been suspended. —, and that “all offensive actions will be reactivated” within 72 hours. The actions of the public force will be carried out “with respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.”

The Government of Colombia added that the ceasefire monitoring mechanism summoned the members of the EMC-FARC, but that they “excused themselves from attending.”

Communication to the public opinion about the ceasefire with the EMC-FARC. pic.twitter.com/Wunu8xIQuT

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) May 22, 2023

“If the bilateral ceasefire is not effective in certain territories to protect the life and integrity of the entire population, then there is no point in persisting with it,” says the government statement, which defends the cessation of armed actions in other territories. where “irreparable damage to the life and integrity of the inhabitants has been avoided.”

The Central General Staff announced in mid-April its willingness to set up a dialogue table with the Government and start peace talks. This May 21, the Government of Petro announced that it would announce the names of the delegation that will be part of the dialogue table with this dissident group “to peremptorily initiate” the dialogue phase.

The Government said that at the dialogue table it will be proposed to strengthen “the cessation of hostilities” with a territorial character.

The EMC is one of the two dissident factions of the FARC and is made up of former leaders and combatants who did not accept the peace agreement, which in 2016 allowed the reincorporation into civilian life of 13,000 people who formed a political party and received 10 seats. in Congress.

The attorney general, Francisco Barbosa, suspended the arrest warrants against some 20 members of the EMC at the beginning of March, which facilitated a meeting of the EMC leaders in the Llanos del Yarí, where they agreed on the date for the installation of the table of dialogue.

The group, made up of 3,530 people —2,180 combatants and 1,350 helpers—, has maintained a bilateral ceasefire with the Colombian government since the beginning of the year.

The EMC-FARC group denies responsibility for the death of 4 minors in Putumayo

The dissident group EMC-FARC denied responsibility for the attack that caused the death of four minors in the department of Putumayo, an act that this Sunday President Gustavo Petro described as a “murder” and attributed to the Carolina Ramírez front of the EMC.

Without referring directly to the death of the minors, the EMC affirmed that the facts for which they are accused “never” were verified and indicated that in Caquetá, Meta and Guaviare “there have been no combats of any kind, extortions or executions”.

The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office reported that the four minors are members of the Murui indigenous community and noted that their deaths would have occurred after having deserted from the ranks of an illegal armed group in the El Estrecho sector, in the municipality of Solano, in the department of Caquetá. According to the Ombudsman, the victims were recruited “forcibly and illegally” in the rural area of ​​Leguízamo, Putumayo, by the dissidence’s Carolina Ramírez Front, according to the institution.

In a statement, the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, urged the State to provide “immediately” protection, support and advice to the four families in the department of Putumayo, who stated that they feel at risk due to possible reprisals from the armed group.

Petro said that the decision to put an end to the ceasefire was made “after hearing delegates from the communities and from the Extraordinary Security Council and due to the serious violation of International Humanitarian Law by this illegal organization, added to other facts that generate uncertainty and anxiety in the population”.

— With information from Florencia Trucco and Reuters.