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Bogota Colombia – Violent clashes between Colombian terrorists along the border with Venezuela have killed at least 16 people. he said on Monday.
Sources told Al Jazeera that most of those killed Sunday in the Eastern Arauca department in Colombia are expected to stay. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) protesters are members of the National Liberation Army (ELN).
Some FARC members objected 2016 peace agreement which led to the dissolution of the group, and ended the 50-year conflict in the country, with protesters announcing a return to arms in 2018. ELN is the largest in Colombia. the rest of the gang.
Late Sunday, the ombudsman’s office for human rights in Colombia showed “Great concern over the escalation of hostilities in Arauca is due to clashes between illegal militias that put civilians at high risk.”
The office has asked local authorities to be present and to protect civilians at the country’s borders, which they have the rise of violence connected by the military since early 2021.
“In the past few hours there have been killings, threats, incarceration, mass evacuation and the threat of expulsion from border towns, especially Tame, Fortul, Saravena and Arauquita,” it said.
Extra security
The Colombian presidency has not yet released the victims of Sunday’s violence.
Juan Carlos Villate, a civil rights activist in Arauca, told W Radio on Monday morning that “the figures. [of deaths] could increase to 50 “. Villate said the violence was the worst in the region in the last 10 years.
Meanwhile, Arauca mayor Etelivar Torres Vargas said on Sunday that he “strongly denies any acts of violence”, which he said “caused panic, fear and anxiety. [among] occupants ”.
Colombian President Ivan Duque said a meeting with security officials had taken place since the violence began, when security forces were sent to Arauca after the clashes.
Defense Minister Diego Molano also announced on Monday that another summit would be held in Arauca in the afternoon on how to better protect the region and improve the Venezuelan border.
The Colombian government has for some years been criticizing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for having links with the FARC and ELN militants. Venezuelan border – Caracas case continuously he refuses.
Unanswered questions
Adam Isaacson, an investigator at the Washington Office for the Latin American think-tank, said the war may have begun to dominate Arauca, an excellent department that shares far, unrestrained borders with Venezuela.
“Everything from drugs, stolen cattle, to kidnappers passing by,” he told Al Jazeera. “The military pays all taxes, including alcohol and food. Also, Arauca has a lot of oil, which means there are extra businesses that the military can take over.
Isaacson said Arauca is an ELN stronghold within Colombia, and after visiting 2019, he was informed that there was a non-aligned relationship between ELN and the FARC.
“The non-violent alliance came to an end last weekend,” he said. “Why now? Maybe the former FARCs have been strong, especially the 10th Front opponents who stood up against them. Venezuelan troops last year, and now it has a large population. ”
Juan Pappier, a senior US researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera that the alliance between ELN and Martin Villa 10th Front, a non-FARC-affiliated group, “appears to be breaking up.”
“We have received alarming reports of deaths, forced evictions, and kidnappings. The authorities need to take immediate action to protect civilians and help those affected, “Pappier told Al Jazeera.
“For years, the conflict between the FARC and ELN oppressed the people of Arauca and Apure. [be coming] life in the province. ”
However, Isaacson said many questions went unanswered about Sunday’s violence.
“We do not know which groups have committed the atrocities or what caused them, or whether this is an explosion or the beginning of a new war,” he said. “But since last weekend, if the death toll and the number of refugees are accurate, this is one of the most difficult humanitarian efforts we have seen in Colombia in recent years.”
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