Colombia
05.06.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: fighting results in death of about 100 civilians, of which 40 are children
COL 060502
Attack against civilians, approximately 100 casualties
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of the death of about 100 civilians, of which 40 are children, due to the impact of a cylinder of explosive gas thrown into a catholic church in which the victims were taking refuge from the violent fighting occurring between the guerrillas of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and the paramilitaries of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) in the region of Bojayá, in the Department of Chocó. Moreover, as a consequence to this act about 80 people are reported missing and many inhabitants, mainly children, have been forced to flee, thus provoking a grave humanitarian crisis.
According to reliable sources, on May 1st 2002, fighting broke out between the AUC, operating from « Bellavista », an urban zone in the municipality of Bojayá, and the FARC that responded from the municipality of Vigía del Puerto, located across the river from Bojayá. According to our sources, the fighting took the inhabitants of Bojayá by surprise as they had only seen a few paramilitary soldiers in the streets. At the start of the fighting the people chose to hide in their houses but in the evening they followed the advice of hiding in the Nuestra Señora del Carmen church (located some 500 meters from the fighting), about 300 people taking refuge there, where the monks distributed food especially for the children.
According to the information received, on May 2nd 2002, there was a fresh outbreak of fighting until the FARC had gained a part of the sector dominated by the paramilitary. At noon the tragedy took place when, according to sources, the gas cylinder that was thrown by members FARC, exploded inside the church leaving not only an estimated 100 dead but also at least 105 injured persons.
According to the information received, as a consequence of these events all the inhabitants have fled Bellavista (without having the time nor means to bury the dead) to the municipality of Vigía del Fuerte, without food, shelter nor the material needed to cure the badly injured, numbering 15, or the lightly injured, of which there are 96. Some of the inhabitants embarked on one of the boats to Puerto Conto, located 20 minutes from Bellavista, and from there continued to Quibdó, where they have been staying in an inn, 131 people (30 families): 27 men, 29 women (16 nursing mothers and one pregnant woman), 33 boys and 43 girls. The monks accompanying the displaced affirm that 45’000 persons live in the region, farm labourers and indigenous populations, stuck in the crossfire of the guerrillas and the paramilitary.
Our sources reveal that the authorities ignored the warnings sent out by various NGOs, the Bureau of the High Commission for Human Rights and the Ombudsman (Defensoría del Pueblo), regarding the danger menacing the inhabitants of Bojayá and Vigía del Puerto due to troop movements in the region. Moreover members of the church declared that they feared the consequences of the military operations in the area, especially because they restrict access to humanitarian missions also adding, “if there had to be a military solution why wasn’t it done two years ago when the presence of armed groups, even in urban areas, was of public notoriety. They had to wait until there were so many dead. The fighters flee but the population remains, as always, in the middle of the crossfire, without there being much to do for it.”
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about the continuous violations of human rights in Colombia and condemns these new acts of extreme violence, the persecution of civilians, the apparent impunity of the perpetrators and the lack of effective measures of protection provided by the national authorities to prevent such acts. Furthermore, OMCT qualifies this act as a “war crime” and reiterates the International Humanitarian law’s prohibition from attacking religious installations.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons, and guarantee physical and psychological integrity of all the inhabitants of the communities of Bojayá and Vigía del Puerto;
ii. order immediate measures to guarantee assistance and protection for the displaced population, and initiate a programme towards establishing mechanisms of permanent vigilance in places of refuge used by these communities, and guarantee a dignified and safe return home;
iii. comply immediately with recommendations issued by international and regional human rights bodies, including the United Nations’ Bureau of the High Commission for Human Rights and Human Rights Commission, the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights, as well as non-governmental human rights organisations;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
· S.E.M. Camilo Reyes Rodriguez, Ambassadeur, Mission permanente de la Colombie auprès de l ‘Office des Nations Unies à Genève, Fax : 004122 7910787, E-mail : mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
· Doctor Edgardo Maya Villazón , Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 342 97 23; (+57 1) 281 75 31
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado, Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35
· S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 86
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· Doctor Gustavo Bell Lemus, Ministro de la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con carrera 52 CAN, Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 18 74
· Doctor Armando Estrada Villa, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio del Interior, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño. Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25
· Doctor Luis Camilo Osorio, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 22.
· Doctor Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 346 12 25
Note: You may encounter problems with the fax numbers for all but the first three addresses!
Please also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, May 7th, 2002
Please inform us of any action undertaken in connection with this case, quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Attack against civilians, approximately 100 casualties
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of the death of about 100 civilians, of which 40 are children, due to the impact of a cylinder of explosive gas thrown into a catholic church in which the victims were taking refuge from the violent fighting occurring between the guerrillas of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and the paramilitaries of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) in the region of Bojayá, in the Department of Chocó. Moreover, as a consequence to this act about 80 people are reported missing and many inhabitants, mainly children, have been forced to flee, thus provoking a grave humanitarian crisis.
According to reliable sources, on May 1st 2002, fighting broke out between the AUC, operating from « Bellavista », an urban zone in the municipality of Bojayá, and the FARC that responded from the municipality of Vigía del Puerto, located across the river from Bojayá. According to our sources, the fighting took the inhabitants of Bojayá by surprise as they had only seen a few paramilitary soldiers in the streets. At the start of the fighting the people chose to hide in their houses but in the evening they followed the advice of hiding in the Nuestra Señora del Carmen church (located some 500 meters from the fighting), about 300 people taking refuge there, where the monks distributed food especially for the children.
According to the information received, on May 2nd 2002, there was a fresh outbreak of fighting until the FARC had gained a part of the sector dominated by the paramilitary. At noon the tragedy took place when, according to sources, the gas cylinder that was thrown by members FARC, exploded inside the church leaving not only an estimated 100 dead but also at least 105 injured persons.
According to the information received, as a consequence of these events all the inhabitants have fled Bellavista (without having the time nor means to bury the dead) to the municipality of Vigía del Fuerte, without food, shelter nor the material needed to cure the badly injured, numbering 15, or the lightly injured, of which there are 96. Some of the inhabitants embarked on one of the boats to Puerto Conto, located 20 minutes from Bellavista, and from there continued to Quibdó, where they have been staying in an inn, 131 people (30 families): 27 men, 29 women (16 nursing mothers and one pregnant woman), 33 boys and 43 girls. The monks accompanying the displaced affirm that 45’000 persons live in the region, farm labourers and indigenous populations, stuck in the crossfire of the guerrillas and the paramilitary.
Our sources reveal that the authorities ignored the warnings sent out by various NGOs, the Bureau of the High Commission for Human Rights and the Ombudsman (Defensoría del Pueblo), regarding the danger menacing the inhabitants of Bojayá and Vigía del Puerto due to troop movements in the region. Moreover members of the church declared that they feared the consequences of the military operations in the area, especially because they restrict access to humanitarian missions also adding, “if there had to be a military solution why wasn’t it done two years ago when the presence of armed groups, even in urban areas, was of public notoriety. They had to wait until there were so many dead. The fighters flee but the population remains, as always, in the middle of the crossfire, without there being much to do for it.”
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about the continuous violations of human rights in Colombia and condemns these new acts of extreme violence, the persecution of civilians, the apparent impunity of the perpetrators and the lack of effective measures of protection provided by the national authorities to prevent such acts. Furthermore, OMCT qualifies this act as a “war crime” and reiterates the International Humanitarian law’s prohibition from attacking religious installations.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons, and guarantee physical and psychological integrity of all the inhabitants of the communities of Bojayá and Vigía del Puerto;
ii. order immediate measures to guarantee assistance and protection for the displaced population, and initiate a programme towards establishing mechanisms of permanent vigilance in places of refuge used by these communities, and guarantee a dignified and safe return home;
iii. comply immediately with recommendations issued by international and regional human rights bodies, including the United Nations’ Bureau of the High Commission for Human Rights and Human Rights Commission, the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights, as well as non-governmental human rights organisations;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
· S.E.M. Camilo Reyes Rodriguez, Ambassadeur, Mission permanente de la Colombie auprès de l ‘Office des Nations Unies à Genève, Fax : 004122 7910787, E-mail : mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
· Doctor Edgardo Maya Villazón , Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 342 97 23; (+57 1) 281 75 31
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado, Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35
· S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 86
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· Doctor Gustavo Bell Lemus, Ministro de la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con carrera 52 CAN, Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 18 74
· Doctor Armando Estrada Villa, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio del Interior, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño. Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25
· Doctor Luis Camilo Osorio, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 22.
· Doctor Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 346 12 25
Note: You may encounter problems with the fax numbers for all but the first three addresses!
Please also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, May 7th, 2002
Please inform us of any action undertaken in connection with this case, quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.