Colombia: At the least 16 lifeless in clashes between armed insurgent teams | Battle Information

Bogota, Colombia – Violent confrontations between Colombian insurgent teams close to the nation’s border with Venezuela have left no less than 16 individuals lifeless, Colombia’s human rights ombudsman mentioned on Monday.

Sources advised Al Jazeera that the majority of these killed on Sunday in Colombia’s japanese Arauca division are considered Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissidents and members of the Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN).

Some FARC members rejected a 2016 peace deal that noticed the group demobilise, bringing an finish to 5 a long time of armed battle within the nation, and the dissidents introduced a return to arms in 2018. The ELN is Colombia’s largest remaining armed insurgent group.

Late on Sunday, Colombia’s human rights ombudsman’s workplace expressed “deep concern for the escalation of the armed battle in Arauca because of the confrontation between unlawful armed teams that put the civilian inhabitants at grave danger”.

The workplace known as on native authorities to be current and defend civilians within the border space, which has seen an uptick in violence linked to armed teams since early 2021.

“In the previous couple of hours there have been homicides, threats, unlawful detentions, mass displacements and danger of compelled displacement in border municipalities, particularly in Tame, Fortul, Saravena and Arauquita,” it mentioned.

Safety reinforcements

The Colombian president’s workplace has but to launch a loss of life toll from the violence on Sunday.

Juan Carlos Villate, a authorities official who offers with human rights points in Arauca, advised the native W Radio station on Monday morning that “the quantity [of deaths] might enhance to 50”. Villate mentioned the violence was the worst he had seen within the area within the final 10 years.

In the meantime, Arauca’s mayor, Etelivar Torres Vargas, mentioned in an announcement on Sunday that he “strongly rejects the violent occasions”, which he mentioned “straight triggered shock, concern and nervousness [among] native inhabitants”.

Colombian President Ivan Duque mentioned a gathering with safety officers was held for the reason that violence broke out, whereas safety reinforcements have been despatched to Arauca within the aftermath of the clashes.

Defence Minister Diego Molano additionally mentioned on Monday that one other assembly would happen in Arauca within the afternoon on how one can finest defend the native inhabitants and management the border space with Venezuela.

The Colombian authorities has for a number of years accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of harbouring FARC dissidents and ELN fighters in Venezuela’s border space – an accusation Caracas frequently denies.

Unanswered questions

Adam Isaacson, a researcher on the Washington Workplace on Latin America think-tank, mentioned the combating could have damaged out over management of Arauca, a vastly strategic division that shares a protracted, uncontrolled border with Venezuela.

“All the pieces from medication, to stolen cattle, to kidnapped individuals crosses,” he advised Al Jazeera. “Armed teams tax all the pieces, even beer and meals. Additionally, there’s lots of oil in Arauca, which implies there’s lots of extractive companies that armed teams might extort.”

Isaacson mentioned Arauca is a stronghold of the ELN inside Colombia, and that when he visited in 2019, he was advised a non-aggression truce between the ELN and FARC dissidents was in place there.

“That non-aggression settlement is clearly over as of this previous weekend,” he mentioned. “Why now? Most likely the ex-FARC have gotten stronger, particularly the tenth Entrance dissidents who stood their floor in opposition to the Venezuelan forces final 12 months, and now they’ve an even bigger presence.”

Juan Pappier, a senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch, advised Al Jazeera that the alliance between the ELN and the Martin Villa tenth Entrance, a FARC dissident group, “seems to be breaking up”.

“Now we have obtained worrying reviews of deaths, compelled displacement, and kidnappings. Authorities ought to take pressing steps to guard the civilian inhabitants and help victims,” Pappier advised Al Jazeera.

“For years, the battle between the FARC and ELN tormented individuals in Arauca and Apure. They’ll’t be left to their very own units as a brand new model of this battle seems to [be coming] alive within the area.”

Nonetheless, Isaacson mentioned many questions stay unanswered about Sunday’s violence.

“We don’t know which teams went on the offensive or what triggered it, or whether or not that is only a flare-up or the start of a brand new conflict,” he mentioned. “However actually from this previous weekend, if the loss of life toll and displacement numbers we’re seeing are in any respect correct, this is among the most severe humanitarian conditions we’ve seen in Colombia lately.”