Amnesty International urges government to halt paramilitaries in north west Colombia
Source: Colombia Reports
Amnesty International urges government to halt paramilitaries in north west Colombia
posted by Marcus Sales
Sep 18, 2013
Amnesty International (AI) on Tuesday urged the government to halt the activities of paramilitaries in north western Colombia, claiming that there is an imminent threat of forced displacement in the region.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international NGO dedicated to preserving and protecting human rights across the world, on Tuesday released a report of an investigation almost two years in the making about Colombia’s internally displaced population, warning that “if Colombia does not take further action to stop the [death threats, intimidation, and killing], the problem [facing Colombia's displaced] is likely to get much worse.”
According to AI, the Colombian government has been made aware of these paramilitary movements, but have failed to take decisive action. The NGO claim that paramilitary forces have reached the areas of Bijao, El Limón, and the two areas Nueva Vida and Nueva Esperanza en Dios, known as Humanitarian Zones, of the Cacarica River Basin, Ríosucio Municipality, Department of Chocó.
Paramilitaries have stated that they are in possession of a list of community leaders who they label as guerrilla collaborators. Witness reports claim on September 3, approximately 100 paramilitaries descended upon the Cacarica River Basin reportedly to “teach a lesson” to the inhabitants.
Read more: http://colombiareports.co/amnesty-international-urges-government-halt-paramilitaries-north-west-colombia/