Colombia

Background

Colombia has been plagued for more than 40 years by a non-international armed conflict involving the Colombian armed forces and various armed non-State actors (NSAs). The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army) and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN - National Liberation Army) are the main NSAs still active today. Negotiations between the government and the two groups have failed to yield results, and the military option is currently prevailing.

According to the Uppsala conflict database, the conflict has claimed more than 45’000 lives since its start, and fighting has intensified in the last ten years. Rural areas have been particularly affected by the effects of the conflict, which include massive displacement, increased numbers of victims of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), and violations of the human rights of vulnerable groups (women, children, indigenous peoples, and the afrocolombian minority).

Activities

Since 2003, Geneva Call has been working in Colombia to promote adherence to the anti-personnel (AP) mine ban by NSAs and to facilitate the implementation of emergency humanitarian mine action in favour of communities affected by AP mines. While both the FARC-EP and the ELN remain reluctant to fully prohibit AP mines, ongoing humanitarian dialogue with the ELN has contributed to raising awareness of the indiscriminate nature AP mines among its leadership. Geneva Call’s engagement of the ELN has also contributed to achieving practical results, notably the demining of areas of civilian use in Micoahumado (Magdalena Medio), and inclusion of the AP mine issue in peace talks between the government and the ELN. Geneva Call’s contacts with the FARC-EP in Colombia have only been indirect thus far.

Geneva Call is working with Colombian civil society (trade unions, indigenous peoples, the afrocolombian minority, and women’s organizations) to mobilize public opinion against AP mines and to call on NSAs to take immediate measures to reduce the impact of AP mines on civilians. Activities have included organizing national, regional and local seminars and workshops with civil society organisations, national, departmental and local authorities, affected communities, and other stakeholders. Geneva Call works also with civil society organizations and local authorities in facilitating and supporting emergency mine action initiatives in mine and UXO-contaminated areas.

With a view of expanding its work to other humanitarian and human rights norms, Geneva Call is carrying out research on the scope and the legal aspects of NSAs’ use and recruitment of children, and on the infringement of women’s rights during the conflict in Colombia.

For further information:

Geneva Call mourns the passing away of its national coordinator for Colombia, Néstor Edmundo Montilla González. 6 July 2010

Propuestas y resultados del taller: , Bogotá, Septiembre 25 de 2009.

Llamamiento de Ginebra, Informe de la Conferencia-Taller, 13-14 de Agosto 2009.

Geneva Call, Conference Report, 13-14 August 2009.

Geneva Call, November 2009,

Geneva Call, Colombian Campaign against Landmines and SCBL (Gender & Mine Action), August 2009,

Geneva Call, Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz, and Secretaria Técnica Alianza Humanitaria de Acción contra las Minas Antipersonal Colombia, 2008, , []. Workshop held in Bogota, 29 August.

Geneva Call and ICBL (International Campaign to Ban Landmines), 2008, , Informe del taller organizado por el Llamamiento de Ginebra y la Campana Internacional para la prohibicion de las minas terrestres- grupo de trabajo de actores no estatales.

Geneva Call and ICBL (International Campaign to Ban Landmines), 2008, , English, Report of the workshop co-organized in November 2005 in Zagreb by Geneva Call and the ICBL Non-State Actors Working Group, July.

Geneva Call, 2007, , Press Release, 25 June.

Geneva Call, 2006, [], Press Release, 30 October.

Patricia Grogg, 2005, , IPS News, 23 December.

Geneva Call, 2005, , Press Release, 7 December.

Elisabeth Reusse-Decrey, 2005, , in , Accord, Conciliation Resources, 20 June.

Geneva Call and Colombian Campaign against Landmines, 2005, , Final Declaration and Conclusions of the Forum on Armed non State-Actors, Antipersonnel Mines and Humanitarian Agreements in Aguachica (Department of Cesar), 10 May.

Geneva Call, 2005, , Press release, January.
ELN, 2005, , January.

ELN, 2005, , 4 January.

ELN, 2004, , 29 October.

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), 2004, , June.

Geneva Call and Colombian Campaign against Landmines, 2004, , Press Release, 20 August.

Geneva Call and Colombian Campaign against Landmines, 2004, , Final Declaration of the First Meeting of Indigenous and Afrocolombian Communities on Armed non-State Actors, Humanitarian Agreements, Antipersonnel Mines and Unexploded Ordnances, 19 August.

Geneva Call and Colombian Campaign against Landmines, 2004, , [] [], 5 June.

ELN, 2004, , 4 June.