TEHRAN, Jul 3 - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he regrets the "polarization and division" in Colombia over elements of the 2016 peace deal and is calling on the government to ensure that any changes to the accord respect commitments made to rebels who laid down their arms.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The U.N. chief singled out the contentious debate over six changes that Colombia's government enacted last month for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, which was established under the agreement to try former combatants accused of atrocities. He also expressed concern about the polarization over government-proposed constitutional changes.
In a report to the U.N. Security Council circulated Tuesday, Guterres also expressed "deep concern" that the U.N. mission in Colombia has verified 123 killings of former combatants since the peace deal was signed by the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC.
This includes 14 FARC killings between late March and late June, he said. Since 2016, Guterres added, 10 combatants have also disappeared and there have been 17 attempted homicides.
He said the attacks are closely related to the increasing presence of "criminal armed groups and illegal and informal economies" in areas vacated by the FARC "where the state has not established an effective presence and control."
"Urgently implementing comprehensive security guarantees and redoubling efforts to dismantle illegal groups and criminal structures, which pose a major threat to communities and peace implementation, are key steps to address these challenges," Guterres said.
The U.N. chief also cited continuing "egregious attacks" on social leaders and human rights defenders, saying the U.N. human rights office in Colombia has verified 230 such killings since the peace deal was signed. This includes seven verified in the last three months, he said, adding that eight others were pending verification.
Source: AP
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