Key developments since May 2002: The use of
mines by guerrilla and paramilitary forces has increased considerably. The
government reported 638 incidents of mine use in 2002. All but two of the
country’s 32 departments are now mine-affected. The number of reported
casualties to mines and unexploded ordnance more than doubled from 216 in 2001
to 530 in 2002. Another 151 new casualties were recorded between January and 15
April 2003.
A National Mine Action Plan was approved on 27 February 2003. In March 2003,
Colombia and the Organization of American States signed an Agreement on
Cooperation and Technical Assistance for mine action. No systematic
humanitarian demining is underway, but mine risk education activities are
expanding.
Colombia’s national implementation legislation, Law 759, came into
effect on 25 July 2002. Colombia began its stockpile destruction program in June
2003 and plans to complete it in February 2005. Colombia has served as co-chair
of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socioeconomic Reintegration
since September 2002. A United Nations report released in February 2003
contains a serious allegation of use of antipersonnel landmines by the Colombian
Army. The Colombian government has indicated only command-detonated Claymore
mines, permissible under the Mine Ban Treaty, were used.
Mine Ban Policy
Colombia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December
1997, ratified on 6 September 2000, and the treaty entered into force on 1 March
2001. On 20 June 2002, the National Congress approved Colombia’s national
implementation legislation, Law 759, and the law came into effect following
Presidential approval on 25 July 2002. Under the legislation, any use,
production, transfer, or stockpiling of antipersonnel mines is punishable by
imprisonment of 10 to 15 years, a fine that is 500 to 1,000 times the official
minimum monthly salary,[1] and
prohibition from public office for a period of five to ten years. If the
antipersonnel mine is equipped with an antihandling device or set up like a
booby-trap, the violation is punishable by 15 to 20 years of imprisonment, a
fine of 1,000 to 2,000 times the official minimum monthly salary, and
prohibition of public office for ten years. Anyone who encourages, assists,
facilitates, stimulates, or induces other persons to participate in violations
will be punished with imprisonment of six to ten years and a fine of 200 to 500
times the official minimum monthly
salary.[2]
Colombia attended the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2002 and
participated in the various intersessional Standing Committee meetings in
February and May 2003. In September 2003, Colombia will complete its year-long
term as co-chair, together with France, of the Standing Committee on Victim
Assistance. On 22 November 2002, Colombia voted in support of UN General
Assembly Resolution 57/74, promoting universalization and implementation of the
Mine Ban Treaty.
During the May 2003 intersessional meetings, Colombian representatives
distributed the country’s annual Article 7 report dated 30 April 2003.
This was the country’s third Article 7
report.[3] It covers the period
from 1 March 2002 to 30 April 2003, and includes Form J on victim assistance
efforts, as well as 21 annexes.
Colombia is a State Party to Amended Protocol II of the Convention of
Conventional Weapons (CCW), but did not participate in the Fourth Annual
Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in December 2002.
On 5 March 2003, Colombia and the Organization of American States (OAS)
signed an Agreement on Cooperation and Technical Assistance for mine
action.[4] President
Álvaro Uribe Vélez, OAS Secretary General César Gaviria
Trujillo, and Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Calderón attended
the ceremony. In his statement President Uribe Vélez said, “We
want to comply with the goal of destroying all mines in the ten year period set
by the Treaty. That will depend, necessarily, on the effectiveness and
application of our Democratic Security
policy.”[5] In his
statement, the OAS Secretary General Gaviria Trujillo said, “This is not a
symbolic act... It is without a doubt an act of extreme courage by the
government, which in the middle of the internal conflict, has decided to take
action....”[6]
A UN delegation visited Colombia from 3-4 April 2003 to review the
country’s landmine crisis and mine action
needs.[7] They met with
representatives of organizations engaged in mine action and also traveled to
Antioquia, where they visited the municipality of Cocorná, which has
reportedly registered the highest numbers of landmine casualties of any
municipality in the country over the past two
years.[8]
In 2002 and 2003, the Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines (CCCM,
Campaña Colombiana Contra Minas), based at the NGO Paz y Democracia
(Peace and Democracy) in Medellín, continued to support implementation of
the Mine Ban Treaty through its participation in the PAAV/Observatory program
(see below) and its advocacy efforts. It sent a number of advocacy letters in
2002 and 2003, including one on 5 March 2003, in which it called on non-state
actors to reconsider their use of antipersonnel mines in light of the increasing
number of civilian landmine casualties; it also called on the government to
swiftly destroy its stockpiled antipersonnel
mines.[9]
On 5-7 May 2003, representatives of the Swiss NGO, Geneva Call, visited
Colombia and, together with the CCCM Coordinator, Álvaro Jiménez
Millán, met with various actors to discuss the landmine crisis in
Colombia.[10] They subsequently
met with members of the Central Command of the ELN (National Liberation Army,
Ejército de Liberación Nacional)in Havana, Cuba from 8-10
May 2003. ELN told them that it was not prepared to stop using mines and
insisted that the government negotiate an end to indiscriminate use of other
weapons and bombardment before ELN could consider halting mine use. ELN said it
recognized the indiscriminate impact of landmine use and said it was prepared to
explore the possibility of local agreements to reduce the negative impact of
antipersonnel mine use on civilian
populations.[11]
Production and Transfer
Colombia is a former producer of antipersonnel
mines. It has reported that equipment used in landmine production at the
state-owned Industrias Militares (INDUMIL) José María Cordoba
factory was destroyed in
1999.[12]
In a December 2001 report, the Vice President’s Office detailed
different types of landmines produced by guerrilla groups from commonly
available explosives.[13] A
March 2003 publication by the government’s Antipersonnel Mine Observatory
provided photographs and additional information on these homemade mines and
listed new mine types.[14]
ELN, EPL (Popular Liberation Army, Ejército de Liberación
Popular), and FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia) are reported to use homemade plastic antipersonnel
mines that cannot be found by the metal detectors used by the Army, in Sur de
Bolívar, Catatumbo (Norte de Santander) and the province of Soto
(Santander).[15] The 2002
annual report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, “The
new trends [with respect to antipersonnel mines] are deeply alarming since all
the outlawed armed groups have acquired an impressive capacity for the
immediate, in situ manufacture of home-made mines, leaving far less scope for
controlling them.”[16]
Colombia is not known to have ever exported antipersonnel mines. It
previously imported antipersonnel mines from Belgium and the US, and perhaps
other countries, but the non-standard nomenclatures of the antipersonnel mines
it has declared in its stockpile make it difficult to ascertain the types and
origin of the mines.
According to a media account, in May 2003, a Panamanian court sentenced four
Panamanians and three Colombians to 20 and 60 months imprisonment for attempting
to import into Colombia weapons acquired in Nicaragua, which included thirteen
Russian antipersonnel
mines.[17]
Stockpiling and Destruction
In April 2003, Colombia reported that its stockpile
of 23,451 antipersonnel mines will be destroyed by February 2005, and 986 mines
will be retained under Article 3 for training and research
purposes.[18] Including the
number of mines retained, the total is 4,125 more mines than previously
reported.[19] Colombia’s
Article 7 reports provide no technical information on the types of mines
retained.[20] The list of
stockpiled antipersonnel mines in Article 7 reports contain 19 separate entries,
including US M14 and M16 antipersonnel mines, an apparent Belgian mine, and
several types of Colombian-made mines. Other nomenclatures listed are
non-standard designations, and appear to include antivehicle mines.
According to the April 2003 Article 7 report, the stockpiled mines will be
destroyed in 246 stockpile destruction events, with approximately 100 mines
destroyed at each event (202 events by the Army, 42 by the Navy, and two by the
Air Force).[21] The first
destruction event occurred in June 2003 and the last ones are due in February
2005.[22] The treaty-mandated
deadline to complete destruction is 1 March 2005. The government has requested
financial assistance to destroy the
stockpile.[23] Previously, in
February 2002, 2,542 mines stockpiled by INDUMIL were
destroyed.[24]
On 26 June 2003, 496 antipersonnel mines were destroyed at a ceremony in
Usme, south of Bogotá, attended by Defense Minister Marta Lucía
Ramírez de Rincón and Vice President Francisco Santos
Calderón.[25] The Vice
President stated, “Today is a historic day for the Colombian military
forces. Today, our officers and soldiers are sending a message to Colombia and
the rest of the world about the magnitude, scope, meaning, and depth of their
commitment with Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law.... The
best way we can honor our boys and girls, our men and women, killed or maimed by
antipersonnel landmines is to make possible the shared dream that these weapons
are banned forever from our country and that the human tragedies caused by them
disappear forever from
Colombia.”[26] Also in
attendance were representatives of the ICRC, UNICEF, UNDP, OAS, various
embassies, ICRC, and NGOs, including the Colombian Campaign to Ban
Landmines.
In its April 2003 Article 7 report, Colombia stated that because of security
concerns arising from the internal conflict, the location of each destruction
event would only be made public at an “opportune moment.” CCCM has
expressed concern that transparency and monitoring will be difficult given the
number of destruction
events.[27]
The Colombian media regularly reports on the seizure of landmines from
guerrilla and paramilitary groups, including FARC, ELC, and AUC (United
Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia). Most
seizures occur during fighting or when the Army comes across camps and bases of
these groups. Based on information in three media reports, 186 antipersonnel
mines were seized in 2002.[28]
Between January and May 2003, at least 136 antipersonnel mines have been seized,
according to information in a dozen media
reports.[29] Additionally, on
25 September 2002, Colombian secret police discovered 16 T-AB-1 antivehicle
mines of Brazilian origin, stockpiled by the FARC’s 8th Front in a
forested area near the municipality of Pasto, Nariño department, near the
border with Ecuador.[30]
Use
Hostilities in Colombia intensified throughout 2002
and in the first half of 2003, following the collapse of peace negotiations in
the first half of 2002.[31]
Colombia remains the only country in the Americas region where antipersonnel
mines are used on a regular basis. FARC and ELN are believed to be major
antipersonnel mine users. According to the government’s Antipersonnel
Mine Observatory, of 638 mine-related incidents reported in 2002, the user
responsible for the landmine that caused the incident is not known in
approximately half of the incidents (283 or 44.5 percent). FARC is listed as
probably being responsible for 237 incidents (37 percent), followed by ELN for
85 incidents (13.5 percent), “non identified” for 11 incidents (1.7
percent), and AUC for seven events (1.2
percent).[32] The Observatory
cautioned that the number of incidents caused by paramilitary forces did not
mean that they use mines less frequently, as it is difficult to know who is
responsible.[33] Just over a
third (36.5 percent) of incidents recorded in Arauca between 1990 and 2002 were
caused by “unknown” users, but in 2001-2002 this percentage
increased to 60 percent, which coincided with the incursion of paramilitary
forces in the department.[34]
Use by Guerrilla Forces
The 2002 annual report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated,
“The use of mines increased considerably.... Of particular concern was the
widespread use by guerrilla groups of anti-personnel mines in hotly contested
areas, especially in the municipality of Cocorná, in Eastern Antioquia,
and in municipalities of Norte de Santander and the region of San Vicente del
Caguán.”[35]
Landmine Monitor has compiled instances of new use of antipersonnel mines in
2002 and 2003 from numerous media reports. Information must be viewed with
caution. For example, on 1 October 2002, a civilian died during fighting
between FARC and the Army in the village of Caño Don Juan, in
Yondó municipality, Antioquia. The Army claimed that the casualty was
caused by an antipersonnel mine, but eyewitnesses claimed the victim was caught
in the crossfire and this was later confirmed by a medical
report.[36] Most reports cite
use by the FARC and ELN, but there are allegations of use by other groups as
well. For example, on 16 February 2002, a soldier died after stepping on an
antipersonnel mine allegedly laid by the EPL and three others were injured in
San Calixto, Norte de
Santander.[37]
FARC Use
In July 2002, the FARC used mines in an area close to a road between Melgar
and Bogotá, in Silvania municipality, Cundinamarca, according to the
Army’s Brigade XIII.[38]
On 13 August 2002, Frente 37 of the FARC mined a field in Zambrano during a
retreat in fighting, according to the commander of Battalion Contraguerrilla
33.[39] On 29 October 2002,
three soldiers were killed and five injured by an antipersonnel mine allegedly
laid by the FARC while patrolling between the municipalities Becerril and
Codazzi, César.[40] On
14 December 2002, a thirteen-year-old child was killed by an antipersonnel mine
allegedly laid by the Frente 49 of the FARC in the hamlet of Sabalo Alto,
municipality Valparaiso,
Caquetá.[41] In December
2002, a FARC minefield caused the death of a 78-year-old woman and five
injuries, in El Pinar del Río, municipality La Sierra,
Cauca.[42]
On 13 February 2003, FARC planted 17 antipersonnel mines around a small
airplane they had brought down in Caquetá, according to Colombian justice
officials.[43] A captured FARC
member admitted having planted the mines to cover their
retreat.[44] In February 2003,
two soldiers were injured by an antipersonnel mine allegedly laid by the FARC,
while on patrol in the village of Las Palmas, municipality of San Carlos,
Antioquia.[45] In February
2003, an eight year-old girl walking to school lost her eyes, her hands and her
leg when a landmine allegedly laid by Frente 24 of the FARC exploded in the
village of Taracué, municipality of San Pablo, south
Bolívar.[46] In March
2003, eleven soldiers were killed and eight injured when a convoy of five
vehicles drove into a field allegedly mined by the Frente 19 of the FARC, in
rural Aracataca municipality,
Magdalena.[47] In May 2003, a
soldier lost his right foot to an antipersonnel mine allegedly laid by the FARC
in Piedecuesta, Urabá,
Antioquia.[48]
ELN Use
ELN admitted to using landmines on four occasions between 21 September 2002
and March 2003 in Saravena, Arauca
department.[49] On 27 November
2002, seven soldiers and one policeman were injured in a mine explosion in
Caracolí, César, during fighting with
ELN.[50] ELN admitted to using
antipersonnel mines in a “defensive manner” in December 2002, when
it took over the village of Micoahumado,
Bolívar.[51] On 8
December 2002, eight paramilitary were killed and eight others injured when they
entered an ELN minefield in
Micoahumado.[52]
In January 2003, police cleared a minefield allegedly laid by ELN,
deactivating 22 antipersonnel mines, at a village between the municipalities of
Saravena and Tame, Arauca.[53]
In southern Bolívar, ELN claims that it marks minefields to "prevent
incidents."[54] In February
2003, two ELN commanders in south Bolívar interviewed by media said that
ELN had laid mines after entering Micoahumado, south Bolívar, and had put
up warning signs at the minefields to prevent
accidents.[55] The commanders
also said that “if the Army and the paramilitaries stop bombarding in an
indiscriminate way, we won’t use
mines.”[56]
Use by Paramilitary Forces
On 17 April 2002, the “Dragon” paramilitary group reportedly
entered Filo Gringo, in El Tarra municipality, Norte de Santander department,
and, after forcing inhabitants out, laid antipersonnel mines in the town’s
school, one of which injured a
civilian.[57] On 17 September
2002, three children were seriously injured by a mine explosion while playing in
an area where FARC and AUC had been fighting in the hamlet of Florencia,
municipality of Samaná,
Caldas.[58] It is not known who
laid the mine.
Use by Government Forces
A United Nations report released in February 2003 contains a serious
allegation of use of antipersonnel landmines by the Colombian Army. According
to the report, the battalion laying the mines admitted responsibility. The 2002
annual report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
human rights situation in Colombia, in a section entitled “Use of
anti-personnel mines,” states:
The Office in Colombia was informed that at the beginning of the year [2002]
the Army had mined the Munchique hills, an area crucial to communications in
south-western Colombia. The José Hilario López Battalion in
Popayán claimed this was an exceptional measure to protect the power
station, since the area had suffered heavy attacks by guerrilla forces, and the
mined area was clearly marked to prevent civilian
casualties.[59]
An international organization working in Colombia told Landmine Monitor it
received confirmation from the commander of the battalion that landmines were
used at the hydroelectric power station to protect against FARC attacks. The
commander confirmed that the minefields were marked and mapped. The
international organization verified the presence of the minefield in October
2002 and informed high-ranking military and government officials about the mine
use.[60] In April 2003, this
use allegation was discussed during a meeting between the visiting UN delegation
and members of CCCM and other
NGOs.[61]
Landmine Monitor asked the government of Colombia for an official response to
the UN report. On 30 July 2003, Minister of Foreign Relations Carolina Barco
replied that the type of mine used in this operation was the Claymore mine, in
command-detonated mode [not victim-activated]. The Minister noted that these
are not considered antipersonnel mines under the definitions of the Mine Ban
Treaty. She added that the minefields of Munchique Hill have been perfectly
demarcated and marked, in order to avoid any danger to the civilian
population.[62]
With respect to past use of antipersonnel mines, prior to joining the Mine
Ban Treaty, the Commander of the Army’s Engineer Battalion told an
intersessional Standing Committee meeting in May 2002 that 54 minefields
containing over 20,000 mines were located at “strategic” sites
around the country that were important for the national economy. He said that
since the minefields were controlled by the Army, “there have been no
civilian casualties from these
mines.”[63] In August
2002, Colombia reported a total of 9,409 landmines emplaced at military bases
and installations: 995 NMAP1 mines around Air Force and Navy bases and 8,414
antipersonnel mines around Army
bases.[64] It did not report
the location of the bases, but it specified that all the minefields were
marked.[65] In its April 2003
Article 7 report, Colombia did not provide information on mines laid around Army
installations, but stated that 1,655 NM-MAP1 mines are emplaced at Air Force and
Navy bases.[66]
Landmine Problem
According to the UN, without an impact survey, it
is impossible to understand the scope of the mine problem in
Colombia.[67]
Between 1990 and February 2003, the government’s Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory registered 960 mined areas in 422 municipalities in 30 departments.
Only two of the country’s 32 departments are not considered mine-affected
(Amazonas and Guainia).[68]
Landmine Monitor previously estimated that in 2002, at least 256 of
Colombia’s 1,097 municipalities in 28 departments were
mine-affected.[69]
The Observatory has ranked the most heavily-affected departments according to
the number of mine-related events between 1990 and 2002, which includes:
landmine incidents and casualties; mine clearance; internal displacement caused
by mines; and mines seized, produced, or
stockpiled.[70]
According to the Observatory, Antioquia is the most seriously affected
department, accounting for 22 percent of the landmine “events.” The
rural areas are the most mine-affected, but the conflict is also becoming
urbanized in
Medellín.[71]
Santander is the second most-affected department, with 18 percent of the
landmine events, especially the municipalities of Bucaramanga and San Vicente de
Cuchurí.[72]
Bolívar comes third, with 8 percent of the landmine events. However,
Bolívar accounted for 16 percent of actual landmine incidents between
1990 and 2002. Over half of the incidents occurred in four municipalities
(Morales, San Pablo, Achí and Santa
Rosa).[73]
Norte de Santander is the fourth most mine-affected department, with 6.6
percent of events.[74] Caqueta
is fifth (5.8 percent), and Arauca is sixth (5 percent). Other heavily-affected
departments include César, Cundinamarca, Meta, Putumayo, Boyaca, Cauca,
Casanare, Valle and Tolima, Huila, Guaviare and
Sucre.[75]
Mine Action Coordination and Planning
Under the government’s National Development
Plan 2002-2006, “Towards a Community State” (Estado Comunitario) of
23 April 2003, compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty is considered a priority,
including strengthening of the Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, mine risk
education, victim assistance, and stockpile
destruction.[76]
The National Interministerial Commission on Antipersonnel Mine Action
(CINAMA, Comisión Nacional Intersectorial para la Acción contra
las Minas Antipersonal) was established on 8 October 2001 by Decree 2113 and
confirmed by law 759 on 25 July 2002. It is chaired by the office of the Vice
President. CINAMA is responsible for implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty,
including the development of a national plan, policy decisions and coordination
of international cooperation. It has a Technical Secretariat and two Technical
Committees, one on Victim Assistance and one on Prevention, Marking, Mapping and
Mine Clearance.[77]
CINAMA’s main program is the Program for the Prevention of
Antipersonnel Mine Accidents and Victim Assistance (PAAV, Programa de
Prevención de Accidentes y Atención a las Víctimas por
Minas Antipersonal), established in January
2001.[78] The Antipersonnel
Mine Observatory (Observatorio de Minas Antipersonal) is the central component
of PAAV.
The Observatory is described as Colombia’s technical entity responsible
for collecting, categorizing, centralizing, and updating all information on the
mine issue. The information is used to facilitate decision-making regarding
prevention, signaling, mapping, mine clearance, and promotion and monitoring of
victim assistance, as well as the general and technical direction, coordination,
implementation and monitoring of the national plan for mine
action.[79] In 2002 and 2003,
the Observatory produced a number of publications on mine risk
education,[80] victim
assistance,[81] and the mine
problem in various departments of the
country.[82]
The Observatory has developed a National Mine Action Plan, which was approved
by CINAMA on 27 February
2003.[83] The National Plan has
five components: information management, prevention, demining, planning, and
cooperation.[84]
In March 2002, the National Planning Department concluded that the best
option for mine clearance in the short and medium term was to create 29 mine
clearance teams of 30 members each to operate over the next 20 years, at an
estimated cost of $21.9
million.[85] No additional
information on the cost and time frame for clearance is available.
On 11 June 2002, an Interministerial Committee of the General Command of the
Armed Forces was created by Transitory Directive No 12/2002 to coordinate
implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty by the Armed
Forces.[86]
The Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) was donated and
installed in Colombia in early 2002 and GICHD personnel conducted eight missions
between June 2001 and February 2003 to train the Observatory technical team in
IMSMA.[87]
Mine Action Funding
Colombia’s Article 7 Report of April 2003
provides the country’s estimates of needed funding for mine action for the
four-year period from 2003-2006 in Colombian
pesos.[88] As of April 2003,
the estimated necessary funds for mine action in Colombia for the period
2003-2006 totaled US$13.8 million (38.85 billion pesos), including $2.4 million
(6.7 billion pesos) for
2003.[89] Funding obtained as
of mid-2003 for 2003-2006 totaled about $5 million (15.1 billion
pesos).[90]
The budget is broken down into five areas according to the national plan.
“Humanitarian demining for humanitarian emergencies” accounts for
nearly 80 percent of the total budget, with approximately $1.6 million (4.47
billion pesos) allocated for 2003 and $11 million (30.79 billion pesos) for the
period from 2003-2006. The next highest expenditure is “the National
Action Plan” with $550,000 (1.54 billion pesos) allocated for 2003 and
$1.6 million (4.58 billion pesos) for 2003-2006. “Prevention of landmine
accidents” is budgeted at $200,000 (553 million pesos) for 2003 and
$900,000 (2.57 billion pesos) for 2003-2006. “Mine action information
management” is allocated $33,000 (92.5 million pesos) in 2003 and $267,000
(748 million pesos) for 2003-2006. Finally, there is “international
cooperation management” with $16,000 (45 million pesos) allocated for 2003
and $60,000 (165 million pesos) for 2003-2006.
The Article 7 report provides information on the sources of funding for the
2003-2006 period in Colombian
pesos.[91] According to the
report, Colombia and four donors provided $1.2 million (3.29 billion pesos) for
2003. The main funds came from the country’s national budget, which
allocated approximately $882,000 (2.47 billion pesos) for 2003 and $4.9 million
(13.78 billion pesos) for 2003-2006. In 2003, Switzerland provided $50,000 in
2003 to support technical cooperation and assistance by the
GICHD;[92] the International
Organization for Migration provided $116,000; the OAS provided $114,000; and the
Peace Investment Fund of Plan Colombia provided $12,000.
In May 2003, the OAS presented a projection of financial resources and
requirements for its activities in the period from 2003-2007. For Colombia,
projected expenditure totaled $3.3 million: $200,000 in 2003, $300,000 in 2004,
$800,000 in 2005, $1 million in 2006, and $1 million in
2007.[93]
Colombia has reported that the $494,906 to be provided by the OAS under the
two-year agreement reached in March 2003 will be allocated as follows: $256,506
for administration and supervision, $130,000 in prevention education, $30,000
for training of Colombian personnel, $30,000 for victim assistance, $30,000 for
logistics (systems), and $9,400 for other activities
(imprevistos).[94]
In February 2003, Spain agreed to provide Colombia with explosives detection
equipment under a framework agreement on military
cooperation.[95] UNICEF reports
that its Mine Risk Education, Victim Assistance and Advocacy program budget for
January 2003-December 2004 is
$428,063.[96]
Mine Clearance
There is no systematic humanitarian mine clearance
underway in Colombia. In March 2003, Colombia’s Vice-President said,
“It is not possible to conduct mine clearance as long as the country is in
war.” At the same time, he mentioned a need for humanitarian mine
clearance of infrastructure including schools, aqueducts and public
places.[97]
According to the April 2003 Article 7 report, the Army’s “Mars
Group” (Grupo Martes) cleared 1,054 minefields in the past two years. It
also trained 877 demining experts at the Military Engineers School in 2002, and
another 177 between January and March
2003.[98] In Annex 16 of the
report, it states that, in 2002, the Colombian Armed Forces cleared 877 mines in
25 departments and lists some specific instances of the Army’s mine
clearance activities.[99]
According to media reports, the Army has 450 mine detection dogs from the
Canine Training School in Bucaramanga; during the first nine months of 2002, the
dogs reportedly discovered 480 minefields, permitting the destruction of
approximately 5,000 mines.[100]
In 2002, two dogs were killed detecting mines in Antioquia and in
Santander.[101] The dogs have
reportedly become the target of guerrilla groups, as food has been placed close
to minefields to distract the
dogs.[102] According to an Army
spokesperson, the FARC offers its members a $170 bonus for killing any dog
working with the Army to find bombs and
mines.[103]
Following a regional humanitarian agreement reached in January 2003, the AUC,
ELN, ERP, and FARC agreed to clear several minefields in Morales municipality in
south Bolívar so that the local population could return to their
homes.[104]
Mine Risk Education
Mine Risk Education (MRE) activities are undertaken
by a number of actors, including UNICEF, the government’s Antipersonnel
Mine Observatory, UNHCR, Colombian Red Cross, the Governor’s Bureaus
(Gobernancias) of Antioquia, Santander, Cauca, and Bolívar, the Health
Sector Directorate, Government Secretariat, the Education Secretariat,
Mayoralties in selected municipalities, and NGOs such as Corporación Paz
y Democracia, CCCM, FUNDEMOS, and the Foundation “Mujeres en
Pie.”
UNICEF supported a number of MRE initiatives in 2002 and 2003, including
seminars, presentations, mass media campaigns, and field projects. In 2002,
UNICEF began a new MRE community-based project in 14 municipalities in Antioquia
and Cauca, setting new standards for MRE in conflict situations. A number of
projects were carried out with the Colombian Red Cross on safe practices, and
with Scouts Colombia, that reached over 30,000 children and
youth.[105]
In March 2003, the Observatory published a MRE
handbook.[106]
In its April 2003 Article 7 report, Colombia attached several annexes
relating to the development of mine risk education in Colombia. This included
the communications strategy of the National Mine Action Plan, which includes
objectives and strategies for raising awareness of the mine problem in the
country, as well as for more conventional
MRE.[107] Another annex was the
prevention strategy of the National Mine Action
Plan.[108] An MRE questionnaire
from a study conducted by the Observatory of 1,300 people in 55 municipalities
of 21 departments was also
annexed.[109] Another annex
includes information on the development of information messages for the Plan,
adapted to the Colombian
context.[110] The targeted
audience is listed as rural males older than 18 years of age, children from
rural areas or from municipalities with less than 200,000 inhabitants, members
of the Armed Forces, community leaders, and national and territorial leaders.
Another annex lists a series of regional MRE
workshops.[111]
On 14 August 2002, “El Contacto,” an Army program on national
television, showed how to identify weapons, including antipersonnel
mines.[112]
In 2002, 25 government employees working in zones controlled by guerrilla
groups participated in a one-week MRE training in
Bogotá.[113]
NGOs active in MRE include Corporación Paz y Democracia together with
CCCM in 14 municipalities of Antioquia
department.[114] Corpojuridica
conducts MRE activities with the internally displaced indigenous population of
Naya, in Cauca. Together with ALDHU (Asociación Latinoamericana de
Derechos Humanos), it also conducts MRE activities in the territory of the
Cofán indigenous peoples in Colombia’s Amazonian
region.[115] In Bolívar,
the association "Por un Hombre Nuevo," in collaboration with the government and
church has organized MRE campaigns in a number of
municipalities.[116]
Landmine Casualties
In 2002, the Antipersonnel Mine Observatory
recorded 530 new mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) casualties, representing a
145 percent increase over the 216 new casualties reported in
2001.[117] Of the total
casualties, 122 people were killed and 408 injured; and 271 were civilians, of
which at least 96 were children. Eight casualties were reported during mine
clearance activities.[118]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2003, with 151 new mine/UXO casualties
recorded between January and 15 April.
The Observatory recorded 1,920 mine/UXO casualties between 1990 and 15 April
2003, of which 25 percent were killed. Civilians accounted for 774 casualties,
including 293 children (38 percent). Of the 1,114 military casualties between
1990 and 15 April 2003, 55 took place during mine clearance activities. Thirty
casualties were described as “irregulars,” and the status of two
casualties was not known. A study of 210 mine survivors found that 31 percent
required an amputation as a result of their injuries. Antipersonnel mines were
the cause of 1,657 casualties (86 percent), while UXO caused 263 casualties (14
percent).
Casualties have been recorded in 30 of the 32 departments since 1990, with
the highest numbers reported in Antioquia (363 – 19 percent),
Bolívar (273 – 14 percent), Santander (249 – 13 percent),
Caquetá (154 – eight percent) and Norte de Santander (110 –
six percent).
Survivor Assistance
Emergency care at the scene of a mine incident is
reportedly deficient, medical treatment and surgery in regional hospitals is
slow, and transport to medical facilities is inadequate. In rural areas, it is
difficult to get immediate medical help, and it can sometimes take hours or even
days to reach the nearest hospital. Medical and rehabilitation services for
mine survivors in Colombia are for the most part located in the main urban
centers, whereas most survivors live in rural areas. Authorities acknowledged
that medical care is made difficult by the distance between the place of the
incident and the health care centers, by a lack of knowledge of first aid, and
by limitations in social and economic rehabilitation. Military personnel have
access to physical rehabilitation and psychosocial
support.[119]
In 2002, the ICRC, in addition to operating four mobile health units,
facilitated access to specialized medical care for 304 civilian
war-wounded.[120]
Colombia reports that the average costs for the transportation of a mine
survivor is $2,668, for therapy is $517, and for a prosthesis is
$25,000.[121]
Military mine casualties assisted at Ministry of Health facilities and the
Central Military Hospital reportedly cost $1,484,723,983 Colombian Peso
($531,854) in 2002 for 408
casualties.[122]
A Directory of Rehabilitation Services in Colombia (Directorio de Servicios
de Rehabilitación, Colombia 2003) was published in May 2003, and is a
joint initiative of the Center for Integrated Rehabilitation of Colombia (CIREC,
Centro Integral de Rehabilitación de Colombia), Landmine Survivors
Network (LSN), and Canada. The Directory covers fifteen departments and 66
municipalities that are seriously mine-affected; however, it is hoped that the
Directory can be extended to cover the entire
country.[123]
Five centers manufacture prostheses and provide other services to landmine
survivors and other persons with disabilities in Colombia: the Hospital Militar
de Colombia (Colombia’s Military Hospital) in Bogotá, the San Juan
Bautista Orthopedic Center in Bucaramanga in Santander department, the Antioquia
Rehabilitation Committee in Medellín, the REI Foundation in Cartagena,
and CIREC.[124]
The Bogotá-based CIREC provides medical services, physical and
occupational therapy, and psychological and social support, and educational
opportunities to amputees and other persons with disabilities, taking into
account their educational and socio-economic status. CIREC produces around 500
lower-limb prostheses and about 3,000 orthoses a year. Ninety percent of people
assisted by CIREC are peasants or rural inhabitants with limited economic
resources. Forty-five percent of CIREC employees are people with a
disability.[125]
The Rehabilitación Integral (REI) foundation orthopedic workshop in
Cartagena is supported by Handicap International Belgium (HIB). In 2002, the
workshop produced 44 prostheses and 29 orthoses. The community-based
rehabilitation program is active in 12 communities and includes psychosocial
support for persons with disabilities and their families, health brigades and
home-care.[126]
On 1 April 2002, the Italian NGO Movimondo began a two-year community-based
rehabilitation project in two neighborhoods of Cartagena, and in Carmen de
Bolívar and Magangué municipalities, Bolívar for people
injured in the conflict.[127]
CIREC conducts the “Semilla de Esperanza” (Seeds of Hope) Program
with workshops in Bogotá for child survivors every six months. The
program aims to empower participants to become leaders in their communities
through knowledge of their rights and the resources available to them. The idea
is to create a new generation of leaders that work for the rights of persons
with disabilities to rehabilitation, education, politics, finances, and social
issues.[128] A two-week
workshop was held in December 2002 for 28 children and youth survivors of
landmines, UXO, and the armed conflict. In addition to the workshops, their
prostheses were checked and their rehabilitation monitored. The next workshop
will be held in July 2003.[129]
On 8-11 May 2003, CIREC hosted the Second National Gathering for Victim
Assistance with the support of UNICEF Colombia and Canada. Approximately 220
persons, including 60 landmine survivors from around the country,
representatives of government agencies, including the Vice President’s
Office, and organizations working in rehabilitation participated. Workshops on
leadership, community-based rehabilitation, technologies, rights of the
disabled, arts, and other topics were held over four
days.[130]
In May 2003, CIREC released “Antipersonnel Mines: a puzzle waiting to
be put together – a survey on rehabilitation for survivors in
Colombia” (Las Minas Antipersonal: un rompe-cabezas por armar –
Diagnóstico de la rehabilitación de los sobrevivientes en
Colombia). The study, undertaken with the support of the governments of Canada
and Norway, and the Landmine Survivors Network, was carried out in 66
communities in the 15 most mine-affected departments in the country. Through
primary and secondary sources, observations, interviews and questionnaires, the
study sought to understand the on-the-ground situation of landmine and UXO
survivors, in order to better meet their
needs.[131]
UNICEF, together with its MRE partners, is planning survivor assistance
activities including advocating on behalf of survivors to gain access to local
education and socio-economic
activities.[132]
The association Confepaz (With Faith, Peace) brings together ex-soldiers and
demobilized guerrillas, many of whom are disabled. The founders, Oscar
Buitrago, an ex-Army captain, and Alberto Cuellar, an ex-guerrilla, are both
mine survivors. The association has 400 members and provides employment advice,
legal aid, and psycho-social support to veterans from both
sides.[133]
In 2002, Corpojuridica reports providing legal assistance to 15 mine
survivors.[134] In
Bolívar, the association “Por un Hombre Nuevo,” in
collaboration with the Gobernación and the church organized workshops and
trained teams to provide psycho-social support for mine survivors in the
municipalities of Tiquiso, Morales, Santa Rosa del Sur, Montecristo, Arenal and
San Pablo. The activities are part of PAAV and are funded by the Fondo de
Inversión para la Paz and the department of
Bolívar.[135]
In the department of Norte de Santander, the Observatorio started a survivor
assistance program in the municipalities of Barrancabermeja, San Vicente de
Chucurí, Matanza, El Carmen and Rionegro. The first stage consisted of
sensitizing local authorities and the departmental health sector on issues
relating to survivor assistance. In the second stage, research was carried out
on the availability of assistance facilities and the demand for services. In
the final stage, an Action Plan for an Integrated Program for Physical, Mental
and Vocational Rehabilitation was
drafted.[136]
Antioquia, the department with the highest number of reported casualties, has
created a Departmental Committee for Prevention of Antipersonnel Mines Accidents
and Integrated Victim Assistance which is comprised of the Gobernación of
Antioquia, UNICEF, CCCM, the Rehabilitation Committee, the Public Health Faculty
of the University, and other official and non-official
agencies.[137]
In 2002, as part of the Comprehensive Action Against Antipersonnel Mines
(AICMA), the OAS Mine Action Program in Colombia supported the implementation of
the Antipersonnel Mines Observatory to record and monitor information on mine
casualties and mine
survivors.[138] The March 2003
Cooperation and Technical Agreement with the OAS provides $30,000 for victim
assistance.[139]
Disability Policy and Practice
Colombia has legislation to protect the rights of
persons with disabilities, including landmine
survivors.[140] However, the
effectiveness of the legislation is reportedly limited by the low capacity of
the health and state sectors to react, the lack of intersectorial coordination,
and the lack of institutional
leadership.[141] One of the
functions of CINAMA is to promote and verify national measures on victim
assistance.[142]
In January 2001, the government launched the Program for Mine Accident
Prevention and Victim Assistance. The victim assistance component of the
program includes medical care and rehabilitation, educational reintegration,
vocational reintegration, and accessibility to the physical
environment.[143]
The Antipersonnel Mine Observatory produced a “guide for victim
assistance,”[144] on
rights and procedures which include the right to payments, subsidies,
indemnities and services through FOSYGA (Solidarity and Guarantee Fund under the
supervision of the Ministry of Social Protection). Benefits include transport
to a health center, unlimited immediate medical, surgical and hospital
assistance, including orthopedic devices, and medicines, and physical and
psychological rehabilitation. However, Colombia considers that the full
implementation of these rights and the capacity of the state to provide the
necessary guarantees are seriously impeded by the ongoing war. Financial
benefits are also available through the Social Solidarity Network (Red de
Solidaridad Social).[145]
Colombia has assisted 180 mine/UXO survivors through the Ministry of Social
Protection and through the Red de Solidaridad
Social.[146]
[1] In 2002, the minimum monthly salary was
approximately $110 (309,000 Colombian pesos). Landmine Monitor used the
conversion rate of $1=2,800 peso (May 2003). See CIREC, “Las Minas
Antipersonal, un rompe-cabezas para armar. Diagnóstico de la
Rehabilitación de los sobrevivientes en Colombia,” Bogotá,
April 2003, p. 37. [2] The Law also
provides for National Humanitarian Missions to verify facts and make
recommendations (Article 10) and for International Missions to Determine Facts
(Article 12). [3] Article 7 Report, 6
August 2002 (for the period 1 September 2001-30 April 2002); Article 7 Report,
15 March 2002 (for the period 1 March-31 August
2001). [4] Email to Landmine Monitor
(MAC) from Beatriz Elena Gutiérrez Rueda, Coordinator, Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, 5 March 2003. (Landmine Monitor has a copy of the Agreement.) See
also Document “Acuerdo de Cooperación y Asistencia Técnica
entre el Gobierno de la República de Colombia y la Secretaría
General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos relativo al Plan
Nacional de Acción Integral contra las Minas Antipersonal en
Colombia,” 5 March 2003; “OEA y el Gobierno se unen para erradicar
minas antipersonales,” El Universal (Cartagena), 5 March
2003. [5] “Palabras del Presidente
Uribe al firmar acuerdo sobre minas antipersonales,” CNE (Official
Presidential Press Agency), 5 March
2003. [6] “Discurso del Secretario
General de OEA,” CNE, 6 March
2003. [7] CCCM, “Visita de
Misión de Naciones Unidas a Colombia y Antioquia,” April 2003.
Document emailed to Landmine Monitor (MAC) by Álvaro Jiménez
Millán, Coordinator, CCCM, 24 April
2003. [8] Ibid; CCCM, “Ayuda
memoria reunión entre organizaciones que trabajan con minas y
misíón de Naciones Unidas,” 4 April 2003. Document emailed
to Landmine Monitor (MAC) by Álvaro Jiménez Millán,
Coordinator, CCCM, 24 April 2003. [9]
CCCM, Comunicado Público #001, 5 March
2003. [10] Emails to Landmine Monitor
(MAC) from Álvaro Jiménez Millán, Coordinator, CCCM, 23 and
24 May 2003; interview with Mehmet Balci, Regional Director for the Middle East
and Europe, Geneva Call, 15 May 2003; email to Landmine Monitor (MAC) from
Mehmet Balci, Geneva Call, 1 July
2003. [11] Email from Álvaro
Jiménez Millán, CCCM, 23 May 2003; interview with Mehmet Balci,
Geneva Call, 15 May 2003. [12] Article 7
Report, Form E, 30 April 2003; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
178. [13] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 179; Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, “Anti-Personnel Mines in
Colombia,” December 2001, p.
5. [14] Four new types of landmines were
identified: mina tumbapostes (a “knock down posts” mine for use at
oil pipelines, energy and communication towers, and other infrastructure), mina
tipo abanico antivehículo (an antivehicle mine), mina química (a
chemical mine), and mina camándula (a “malicious” mine shaped
like a chain and used at the side of
roads). [15] “Guerrilla emplea
minas antipersonales de plástico que no pueden ser detectadas,” El
Tiempo (Bogotá), 3 September
2002. [16] United Nations Economic and
Social Council, “Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights on the human rights situation in Colombia,” Document
E/CN.4/2003/13, 24 February 2003, p. 59, at
www.hchr.org.
[17] “Desmantelan en
Panamá red de traficantes de armas para Colombianos,” Notimex
(Panamá), 16 May 2003. [18]
Article 7 Report, Form B, 30 April
2003. [19] In its previous Article 7
reports, Colombia reported a stockpile of 20,312 landmines. See Article 7
Report, Form B, 15 March 2002; Article 7 Report, Form B, 6 August
2002. [20] Article 7 Report, Form B, 30
April 2003. [21] Ibid. Only Form B
provides information on stocks and on mines retained for
training. [22] One destruction event is
listed as occurring in November 2005, but it is assumed this is an error.
Article 7 Report, Form B (Army destruction event No. 140), 30 April
2003. [23] Article 7 Report, Form B, 30
April 2003. [24] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Bolívar,” Regional Bulletin No. 2, January
2003, p. 9. [25] Vice President’s
Office and Ministry of Defense joint Press Release, “Colombia Begins
Demining Program,” Bogotá, 26 June 2003; “Militares inician
destrucción de 23.451 minas antipersonales,” EFE (Bogotá),
27 June 2003. [26] Speech by Vice
President Francisco Santos Calderón, “A Great Reason for
Pride,” during the destruction ceremony, Bogotá, 26 June
2003. [27] Email to Landmine Monitor
(MAC) from Álvaro Jiménez Millán, Coordinator, CCCM, 20
June 2003. [28] “Descubren
gigantesco campamento de las FARC,” El Mostrador (Santiago, Chile), 24
August 2002; “Ejercito impidio ataque de las FARC,” El Pais (Cali),
7 June 2002; “Capturados cinco presuntos autodefensas,” Vanguardia
Liberal (Bucaramanga), 16 August
2002. [29] Reports on file with Landmine
Monitor. [30] “Policía
desmantela depósito de minas antitanques de las FARC,” Agence
France Presse (Bogotá), 2 October
2002. [31] Colombia continues to suffer
from an internal armed conflict that began over 40 years ago. Parties to the
conflict include the government and Armed Forces of Colombia, and the two main
guerrilla groups, the FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) and ELN
(National Liberation Army). Smaller guerrilla groups include the ERP
(People’s Revolutionary Army) and EPL (Popular Liberation Army). The AUC
(United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) paramilitary forces are also involved
in the conflict and other paramilitary organizations include the ACC
(Autodefensas Campesinas de Casanare) and the ACMV (Autodefensas Campesinas del
Meta y Vechada). Paramilitary groups operate with the tolerance and often
support of units within the Colombian Army. See Human Rights Watch, The
“Sixth” Division: Military-Paramilitary Ties and U.S. Policy in
Colombia, (New York: Human Rights Watch, September
2001). [32] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Frecuencia annual por autor de eventos por MAP/UXO
1990,” 9 June 2003, at
www.derechoshumanos.gov.co
(accessed 3 July 2003). [33]
Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, “Santander,” Regional Bulletin No.
3, January 2003, p. 8. [34]
Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, “Arauca,” Regional Bulletin No. 4,
February 2003, pp. 11-12. [35]
“Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights
situation in Colombia,” Document E/CN.4/2003/13, 24 February 2003, p.
59. [36] Noche y Niebla: Banco de Datos
de Derechos Humanos y Violencia Política (Unión Temporal Cinep
& Justicia y Paz), October 2002, at
www.nocheyniebla.org. [37]
Unión Temporal Cinep & Justicia y Paz, “Noche y Niebla: Banco
de Datos de Derechos Humanos y Violencia Política,” February 2002,
p. 67, at
www.nocheyniebla.org. [38]
“Desactivan campo minado en carretera entre Bogotá y
Ibagué,” El Tiempo, 8 July
2002. [39] “Un infante muerto,
otro herido al pisar mina,” El Universal, 15 August
2002. [40] “Tres soldados murieron
al hacer explosión una mina antipersonal,” Europa Press
(Bogotá), 29 October 2002; “Suspected rebels kill 7 in
Colombia,” Associated Press (Bogotá), 29 October
2002. [41] Unión Temporal Cinep
& Justicia y Paz, “Noche y Niebla,” November 2002, p.
102. [42] “Una persona muerta y
cuatro heridas deja campo minado en Cauca,” Caracol Radio, 6 December
2002. [43] “Farc saquearon y se
llevaron sofisticados equipos satelitales de avioneta donde viajaban
estadounidenses que tienen sequestrados,” El Tiempo, 1 March
2003. [44] “Así tumbamos el
avión,” Cambio, 3 March
2003. [45] “Soldados salen heridos
al pisar mina,” Caracol (Bogotá), 16 February
2003. [46] “Una mina tiene al
bordo de la muerte una niña de ocho años,” Vanguardia
Liberal (Bucaramanga), 23 February 2003; “Mutilada niña de ocho
años,” Caracaol (Bogotá), 22 February
2003. [47] “Once militares mueren
en emboscada de las FARC en Magdalena,” El Tiempo, 28 March 2003; Ministry
of Defense, Corporate Communications Office Press Release No. 68, 27 March
2003. [48] “Murió soldado
por mina antipersonal,” El Colombiano (Medellín), 2 May
2003. [49] “Arauca: zona de
rehabilitación y control,”
www.eln-voces.com, cited 2 July
2003. [50] According to one media
source, the policeman died on the spot. See “Un policía muerto y
siete soldados heridos deja emboscada ELN,” Caracol, 28 November 2002;
“Ocho heridos en un campo minado,” El Colombiano (Medellín),
28 November 2002. [51] “Tregua
paramilitar...agresión al pueblo,” ELN Public Comuniqué, 20
December 2002; “La pesadilla de un jefe narcoparamilitar,” SINPAL
(Sistema Informativo Patria Libre), 31 December 2002;
www.eln-voces.com, cited 2 July 2003;
“ELN se propone contactos regionales,” El Colombiano, 7 February
2003. [52]
Ibid. [53] “Policía
Colombiana desactiva 22 minas antipersonales en Arauca,” Agence France
Presse (Bogotá), 3 February
2003. [54] “ELN se propone
contactos regionales,” El Colombiano, 7 February
2003. [55]
Ibid. [56]
Ibid. [57] Unión Temporal Cinep
& Justicia y Paz, “Noche y Niebla,” April 2002, p.
30. [58] “Tres niños
gravemente heridos al explotar una mina antipersonal,” Agence France
Presse (Bogotá), 18 September 2002; Unión Temporal Cinep &
Justicia y Paz, “Noche y Niebla,” September 2002, p.
108. [59] United Nations Economic and
Social Council, “Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights on the human rights situation in Colombia,” Document
E/CN.4/2003/13, 24 February 2003, p. 59, available at
www.hchr.org.co.
[60] Landmine Monitor (MAC) telephone
interviews with source that wishes to remain anonymous, June and July
2003. [61] CCCM, “Ayuda memoria
reunión entre organizaciones que trabajan con minas y misión de
Naciones Unidas,” 4 April
2003. [62] Letter DM/DPM No. 29088 to
Mary Wareham, Landmine Monitor Global Coordinator, from Minister of Foreign
Relations Carolina Barco, 30 July
2003. [63] Notes taken by Landmine
Monitor (MAC) and statement provided to MAC in writing by Colonel Julian Cardona
Montoya, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 30 May
2002. [64] The Army’s 8,414 mines
are: 2,023 APR M14, 1,538 plastic mines, 1,587 Antiexplosiva M1, 865 Explosivas,
690 MAP, 514 M18, 437 M3A1, 311 Sopro, 207 MAP2 Indumil, 87 M16, 74 Indumil ATP,
53 M3, and 28 Explosivas M21. Article 7 Report, Form C, first Table, 6 August
2002. [65] Article 7 Report, Form C, 6
August 2002. [66] The Navy reports that
it has 998 NM-MAP1 mines emplaced in minefield located at Cartagena Mamonal (167
mines), Cerro La Pita (166), Cerro Mochuela (498), Cerro Tokio in Valle del
Cauca (93), and Cerro Mecana in Choco department (74). The Navy has withdrawn
its troops from Cerro Tokio and Cerro Mecana. The Air Force has a total of 657
NM-MAP1 antipersonnel mines in minefields located in Cerro Pan de Azúcar
(370 mines), Cerro La María (101), Cerro Nuesa (100), and Cerro Manjui
(86). See Article 7 Report, Form C, first and second tables, 30 April
2003. [67] UN, “Portfolio of
Mine-Related Projects 2003,” p.
88. [68] Antipersonnel Mine Observatory,
“Frecuencia departamental de eventos por MAP/UXO 1990-11 June 2003,”
at
www.derechoshumanos.gov.co. [69]
See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp.
182-185. [70] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Frecuencia departamental de eventos por MAP/UXO 1990-11 June
2003.” [71] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Antioquia,” Regional Bulletin No. 1, December 2002, p.
13. [72] Antipersonnel Mine Observatory,
“Santander,” Regional Bulletin No. 3, January 2003, pp.
9-11. [73] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Bolívar,” Regional Bulletin No. 2, January
2003, pp. 2, 8. [74] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Norte de Santander,” Regional Bulletin, May 2003, p.
2. [75] Antipersonnel Mine Observatory,
“Frecuencia departamental de eventos por MAP/UXO 1990-11 June
2003.” [76] Article 7 Report, Form
A, 30 April 2003. [77] Ibid.; Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, pp. 177,
185-186. [78] Landmine Monitor uses the
acronym PAAV for convenience’s sake, though it is not an official acronym.
Administered by the Vice President’s Office (Vicepresidencia de la
República), PAAV is part of the Presidential Program on Human Rights and
Application of International Humanitarian Law (Programa Presidencial de Derechos
Humanos y Aplicación del Derecho Internacional
Humanitario). [79] Article 7 Report,
Form A, 30 April 2003. [80]
Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, “Concientización sobre Minas
Antipersonal,” Bogotá, March
2003. [81] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Atención a las Víctimas,” Bogotá,
March 2003. [82] See the series of
Regional Bulletins for Antioquia, Bolívar, Santander, Arauca,
César, Putumayo, and Norte de Santander, dated from December 2002 to May
2003. [83] Article 7 Report, Form A, 30
April 2003. [84] Email to Landmine
Monitor (MAC) from Beatriz Elena Rueda Gutierrez, Coordinator of the
Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, 5 May
2003. [85] Office of Economic Studies,
“The eradication of antipersonnel mines in Colombia: Implications and
Costs,” National Department of Planning, 1 March 2002, p.
ii. [86] CINAMA, “Informe de
Gestion,” 11 December 2002, p.
4. [87] Article 7 Report, Form A, 30
April 2003, p. 8. [88] Article 7 Report,
Form A, 30 April 2003. Conversion rate of $1 = 2,800 pesos (May 2003) is used.
Using the US format, a billion is equivalent to a thousand million
(1,000,000,000), not a million millions as in
Colombia. [89] Article 7 Report, Form A
and Annex 2 (National Planning Department “Ficha BPIN No.
0050002470000,” p. 7), 30 April 2003.
[90] Email to Landmine Monitor (MAC)
from Beatriz Elena Gutiérrez, coordinator Antipersonnel Mine Observatory,
29 July 2003. [91] Article 7 Report,
Annex 2, 30 April 2003. [92] Article 7
Report, Form A, 30 April 2003. [93] OAS,
“Mine Action Program: Making the Western Hemisphere landmine-safe,”
Resource Mobilization: Projection of Financial Resources/Requirements 2003-2007,
p. 6. Presented at the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the
Convention, 12 May 2003. [94] Article 7
Report, Form A, 30 April 2003. [95]
“El gobierno Español otorga ayuda militar y tecnología de
uso de stélites para uso en guerra civil Colombiana,” EFE
(Bogotá), 28 February 2003. [96]
UN Mine Action “Emine” website, see project portfolio for Colombia,
at
www.mineaction.org. [97]
“Una mina vale US$80 centavos; Quitarla cuesta US$500,” CNE, 5 March
2003. [98] Article 7 Report, Form C,
30 April 2003. [99] Article 7 Report,
Annex 16 (Estadisticas Operacionales Dirección de Operaciones del
Ejército), 30 April 2003. [100]
“Los perros de la guerra,” Semana, 10 October 2002; “Guerrilla
emplea minas antipersonales de plástico que no pueden ser
detectadas,” El Tiempo, 3 September 2002; “Denuncian uso de minas
explosivas de plástico que no se detectan,” El Espectador
(Bogotá), 5 September 2002. [101]
“Adiestran perros para interceptar minas antipersonales,” El Tiempo,
7 November 2002. [102] “Los perros
de la guerra,” Semana, 10 October
2002. [103] “Bomb-sniffing dogs
guard Bogotá's posh brides,” Reuters (Bogotá), 22 May
2003. [104] “Guerrilleros y AUC
actúan como buenas personas,” Caracol (Cartagena), 31 January 2003;
“ELN y AUC quitarán minas de Morales,” El Tiempo, 4 February
2003. One report notes that the FARC, ELN and ERP were involved, as well as the
paramilitaries. The other reports that only the ELN were involved, as well as
the paramilitaries. [105] UN,
“Portfolio of Mine-Related Projects 2003,” p.
89. [106] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Concientización sobre Minas Antipersonal,”
Bogotá, March 2003. [107] Article
7 Report, Annex 18 (Plan Estratégico de Comunicación), 30 April
2003. [108] Article 7 Report, Annex 15
(Plan Operativo Observatorio de Minas Antipersonal Componente Prevención
Integral Año 2003), 30 April
2003. [109] Article 7 Report, Annex 9
(Metodología para la Aplicación de la Encuesta de Conocimientos,
Actitudes, Prácticas y Creencias sobre Minas Antipersonal y Artefactors
Explosivos Abandonados – CAPCs en Colombia,” Plan Operativo para
“Promover Cultura de Seguridad y Protección para Prevenir
Accidentes por Minas Antipersonal y Artefactos Explosivos Abandonados), 30 April
2003. [110] Article 7 Report, Annex 12
(Metodología para la Elaboración de los Mensajes Informativos
Priorizados para el Caso Colombiano,” Plan Operativo para “Promover
Cultura de Seguridad y Protección para Prevenir Accidentes por Minas
Antipersonal y Artefactos Explosivos Abandonados), 30 April
2003. [111] Article 7 Report, Annex 8
(Programación Talleres Regionales de Concientización para la
Prevención de Riesgos sobre Minas Antipersonal y Artefactos Explosivos
Abandonados,” Plan Operativo para “Promover Cultura de Seguridad y
Protección para Prevenir Accidentes por Minas Antipersonal y Artefactos
Explosivos Abandonados), 30 April
2003. [112] “Las armas de la
guerrilla en televisión,” El Espectador (Bogotá), 14 August
2002. [113] “Centro internacional
desminado pide prevención en zonas rebeldes,” Caracol
(Bogotá), 28 April 2003. [114]
“Antioquia, departamento colombiano con mayor número de minas
antipersonales,” El Tiempo, 28 April
2003. [115] Email to Landmine Monitor
from Hector Castro Portillo, CORPOJURIDICA, 13 May
2003. [116] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Bolívar,” Regional Bulletin No. 2, January
2003, p. 2. [117] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Victims caused by events of APM/UXO 1990–11 June
2003,”
www.derechoshumanos.gov.co,
(accessed 3 July 2003). See also Article 7 Report, Form J (“The Rights of
the Civilian Victims and the Processes To Access Humanitarian Aids,” pp.
47-50), 30 April 2003. The information in Form J is reportedly taken from the
Antipersonnel Mines Observatory as at 15 April 2003 and reports 524 new
casualties. Data collection in an on-going process and statistics are
continually updated as new casualties, and those from previous periods, are
identified. [118] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Victims caused by events of APM/UXO 1990–11 June
2003,”
www.derechoshumanos.gov.co,
(accessed 3 July 2003). This is the source for all of the information that
follows in this section. [119] See
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp.
190-191. [120] ICRC, “Annual
Report 2002,” Geneva, June 2003, p.
209. [121] Beatriz Elena
Gutiérrez Rueda, Coordinator, Antipersonnel Mine Observatory,
presentation to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic
Reintegration, Geneva, 13 May
2003. [122] Article 7 Report, Form J
(“Legal framework for the Attention of the Civilian Victims and their
Families,” pp. 51-60), 30 April
2003. [123] Email to Landmine Monitor
(MAC) from Jeannette Perry de Saravia, Director, CIREC, 24 May 2003; CIREC and
LSN, “Directorio de Servicios de Rehabilitación, Colombia
2003,” Bogotá, May
2003. [124] See Landmine Monitor Report
2000, pp. 322-323. [125] See Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 191. [126] HIB,
“Activity Report 2002,” p. 16; Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
191. [127] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 192. [128] Email to Landmine
Monitor (MAC) from Jeannette Perry de Saravia, Director, CIREC, 29 May
2003. [129] Ibid., 24 May 2003;
“Discapacidad por artefactos explosivos, un rompecabezas por armar,”
Dissent Press, 28 May 2003. [130] Email
from Jeannette Perry de Saravia, CIREC, 24 May
2003. [131] Ibid., 29 May 2003; CIREC,
“Las Minas Antipersonal, un rompe-cabezas para armar. Diagnóstico
de la Rehabilitación de los sobrevivientes en Colombia,”
Bogotá, April 2003. [132] UN,
“Portfolio of Mine-Related Projects 2003,” pp.
90-91. [133] “Former foes in
Colombia's civil war blaze peace trail,” Guardian, 5 June
2003. [134] Email to Landmine Monitor
(MAC) from Hector Castro Portillo, CORPOJURIDICA, 13 May
2003. [135] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Bolívar,” Regional Bulletin No. 2, January
2003. [136] Antipersonnel Mine
Observatory, “Santander,” Regional Bulletin No. 3, January 2003, p.
2. [137] “Antioquia, departamento
colombiano con mayor número de minas antipersonales,” El Tiempo, 28
April 2003. [138] “OAS/Mine
Assistance Program in Colombia,” ICBL Portfolio of Landmine Victim
Assistance Programs, September 2002, at
www.landminevap.org. [139]
Article 7 Report, Form A, 30 April
2003. [140] See Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 192-193. [141] CIREC,
“Las Minas Antipersonal, un rompe-cabezas para armar. Diagnóstico
de la Rehabilitación de los sobrevivientes en Colombia,”
Bogotá, April 2003, p. 24. [142]
Article 6 of Law 759, 25 July
2002. [143] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, pp. 192-193. [144]
Antipersonnel Mine Observatory, “Atención a víctimas,”
at www.derechoshumanos.gov.co
(accessed 2 July 2003). [145] Ibid;
Article 7 Report, Form J (“Legal framework for the Attention of the
Civilian Victims and their Families,” pp. 51-60), 30 April
2003. [146] Ibid.