COLOMBIA weekly humanitarian situation report | N°29

050 100 200 300 400 [ Km. Teorama Norte de Santander Barranquilla Minefield vicitim Juan de AcostaZona Bananera (1 civilian injured)

Tarazá Antioquia Mass displacement Magangue El Tarra Convencion Puerto EscondidoSan Benito Abad (66 people) Teorama Norte de Santander El Tarra Minefield vicitim San Calixto Turbo Nechi Cucuta (1 military injured)

Taraza Ituango Anori Antioquia BarrancabermejaChitaga Piedecuesta Arauquita Minefield victims Tame Socorro Tame (1 military dead Arauca and 2 injured) Minefield vicitim Paz de Ariporo Saman Pesca (2 militaries dead Pueblo RicoPensilvania and 4 injured) Murillo Monterrey Istmina Istmina Alvarado Bogota Chocó Roncesvalles OrtegaCunday Massacre Coyaima BuenaventuraRio Blanco CaliPradera Corinto Jambalo Puerto Rico El Tambo Sotara El Rosario Florencia

Cartagena del Ch. Legend Valle del GuamuezPuerto As¡s 1 Dot = 1 Minefield/UXO victims Armed confrontations Attacks against candidates Valle del Guamuez Attacks against civilians Putumayo Mass displacement Homicides (130 people) Mass displacement event Homicides of candidates Kidnapping of candidates

Information can be shared by humanitarian community directly involved in the crisis response though the Humanitarian Situation Room, www.colombiassh.org Organisations can post their contact details though the Who What Where information channel, as well as any other pertinent information at the site by submitting to: [email protected] Updated information on IASC can be found at www.colombiassh.org/iasc. weekly humanitarian situation report | N°29

Situation and events

Events per department Mass-displacements in Antioquia 10 10 9 and Putumayo 88 66 displaced from rural Tarazá towards the 777 urban area, fleeing from alleged abuses by 6 FARC members, whereas 130 displaced in Valle 5 del Guamuéz after FARC attacked a police 5 4 patrol

333

222 10/10/2007 – 15/10/2007

111111 FARC members allegedly arrived to the rural outskirts of Tarazá (Antioquia), burned a house and retained 20 0 peasants for five hours. Following these events, on October 17 66 people (among them 35 demobilised Meta Sucre Chocó Cauca Nariño Tolima Bolivar Caldas Arauca Boyacá Caquetá Córdoba Atlántico paramilitaries) displaced to this area looking for Antioquia Risaralda Casanare Putumayo Santander Magdalena

Bogotá, D.C. protection. IDPs are settled in a municipality’s facility

Valle del Cauca and received food aid from the local government and the Norte de Santander Presidential Office for Reintegration. DAPARD, Acción Events Social and ICBF also assisted them. On October 19, during a Security Council IDPs agreed to return once the 35 Army reinforces security measures in the area. 31 According to the Peace Adviser of Antioquia department, 28 most IDPs have now returned.

22 On the other hand, press sources reported the 21 displacement of 130 people, following an attack to a 17 police patrol by FARC in a rural road of Valle del 14 14 Guamuéz (Putumayo). According to the local mayor, the displaced population was stigmatised as FARC supporters allegedly by members of the Police and the 7 3 Army. So far, IDPs are settled in the town’s church. 22 1 0 Humanitarian situation in Chocó One massacre, the forced disappearance of 10 Mass event Armed Homicides victims civilians candidates

candidates people and armed confrontations in Istmina, Homicides of candidates displacement Kidnapping of confrontations Minefield/UXO Attacks against Attacks against Attacks Sipí and Bagadó raised concerns among Armed confrontations national authorities and humanitarian actors Police - FARC, 2, 6% Army - "New 26/10/2007 Police - "New emerging bands", 6, On October 27 the Ombudsman’s Office informed 6 emerging bands", 1, 18% miners were killed and 4 injured after an attack by an 3% illegal armed group in Istmina. The government of Istmina summoned a security council in order to assess Army - delinquency, the situation. The Ombudsman’s Office and 2, 6% Procuraduría visited the affected community and raised the alerts. Humanitarian actors are reporting the situation to national and local authorities, as well as to the humanitarian community, considering there is still a Army - ELN, 4, 12% high risk for the local population. Meanwhile, since October 21 a group of 10 people (4 underage) is missing Army - FARC, 19, in Sipí. According to preliminary information, this 55% situation (as the one in Istmina) could be related to the arrival of new illegal armed groups who are struggling for DATA HEREWITH PRESENTED WAS COLLECTED FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES BY OCHA territorial control.

OCTOBER 17 - 24 1 weekly humanitarian situation report | N°29

The local and national Ombudsman’s Offices as well as the Catholic Church in Chocó have raised the alerts among the humanitarian community. The Ombudsman’s Office is considering the activation of a rapid search mechanism.

On the other hand, between October 15 and 18, the Catholic Church in Chocó and WFP reported that rural communities of the municipality of Bagadó are confined due to sustained armed confrontations between the Army and FARC. WFP fear possible food shortages among these communities. WFP delivered food aid on October 19 and 20. The humanitarian actors in the region are monitoring the situation in order to prevent food shortages.

Follow-up: mass-displacement in Cocorná, Antioquia 133 people (35 families) continue in the urban area after the murder of 2 candidates for deputies by FARC and sustained threats against 28 more

26/10/2007 According to recent information, one of the candidate’s families displaced to Medellín. IDPs are temporarily settled in relatives’ houses and in a municipality’s facility and have received food aid from the departmental government. DAPARD, Acción Social, CISP, UNHCHR and UNHCR are also assisting the population.

Follow-up: Awá displacement in Nariño According to Awá indigenous authorities risks in their communities persist. 1,018 IDPs remain in a school facility in precarious food and sanitation and conditions

26/10/2007 Following the mass displacement of an Awá indigenous community in rural Tumaco on September 18, indigenous authorities issued a communiqué denouncing precarious conditions of IDPs in Inda Sabaleta and the lack of guarantees for their return. According to the release, indigenous communities fear possible attacks due to the increasing presence of Army troops and coca eradication groups near their reservations. On the other hand, coordination between humanitarian actors in the region is improving. On October 19, representatives of Solidarity International, Coopi, UNHCR, the government of Nariño and UNIPA held a meeting in order coordinate actions and humanitarian response; Solidarity International and the departmental government suggested the construction of a shelter. PAHO is supporting the construction of 5 water wells.

OCTOBER 17 - 24 2 Violence against candidates COLOMBIA weekly humanitarian situation report | N°29

050 100 200 300 400 [ Km.

Puerto ColombiaSanta Marta Pueblo Viejo Bogota Aracataca Cerro de San AntonioValledupar Marialabaja San Jacinto La Jagua de Ibirico Coloso Guamal SampuesMagangueEl Banco Cerete Achi San Calixto Necocli Tuiquisio Ocana Turbo AguachicaLa Playa Santa Rosa del SurSimiti Chigorodo Puerto Wilches Mutata San Pablo Surata Anori Cantagallo Matanza Toledo Floridablanca Carolina Vigia del Fuerte BetuliaMedellin Cocorna La Dorada AguadasSamana Chiquinquira Pueblo RicoPensilvania Villamaria AnsermanuevoPereiraLibano Roldanillo Restrepo Zarzal Espinal Villavicencio Guadalajara de BugaTulua VillaricaAcaciasPuerto LopezPuerto Gaitan Palmira CubarralCastilla la Nueva BuenaventuraRioblanco Ataco Corinto Neiva Morales Algeciras Timbio La Macarena

Florencia Calamar

Milan Puerto Guzman Ipiales Cartagena del Chaira Violence against candidates February - October 25, 2007 Source: MOE, Observatorio de Derechos Humanos, press sources.

Pie size corresponds to the number of events registered per municipality

Threats Attacks Kidnappings Homicides

Information can be shared by humanitarian community directly involved in the crisis response though the Humanitarian Situation Room, www.colombiassh.org Organisations can post their contact details though the Who What Where information channel, as well as any other pertinent information at the site by submitting to: [email protected] Updated information on IASC Colombia can be found at www.colombiassh.org/iasc. weekly humanitarian situation report | N°29

Political overview

Elections jeopardised by violence against candidates and electoral crimes Two days before to the election of governors, mayors and regional/local deputies the candidates are at high risk due to sustained attacks against them that have seriously increased in the last three weeks and to the denounces of crimes related to the electoral process. The Early Warning System and the Electoral Watch Mission (MOE for its Spanish acronym) issued reports whereby they asses the risk related to elections throughout the country. So far, 29 candidates have been killed.

26/10/2007 The MOE presented a series of maps registering the different levels of risk for the October 28th’s elections. These maps indicate challenges entailed vis-à-vis the development of fair, free and transparent electoral round bearing in mind corrupt practices against voting and scrutiny as well as threats posed by different forms of violence perpetrated by illegal armed actors against candidates, voters and institutions at the local, departmental and national levels. The MOE highlights 164 municipalities are in extreme risk (175 in high risk and 337 in medium risk).

Closer looks to the main variables observed by OCHA and also compiled by the MOE are offered below (also see attached map):

Homicides 4.5 4 4 29 candidates have been killed throughout the year; Antioquia is the 3.5 3 3 most affected department with 8 candidates in four municipalities, 2.5 222 followed by Valle del Cauca with 5 homicides and Tolima with 4. In 72% 2 1.5 1111111111111111 of the cases the author is unknown; the remaining 8% were allegedly 1 committed by FARC. 72% of the homicides occurred during September 0.5 (25%) and October (47%). 13 of the candidates killed were aspiring for 0 the mayor position, whereas 11 were aspiring for deputies positions. Tuluá Ataco Ipiales Puerto Toledo Yumbo Corinto Morales Villarica Calamar Samaná Medellín Cocorná Rioblanco Cartagena San Calixto San Jacinto Guadalajara San Fracisco Buenaventura

4.5 4 Attacks 4 3.5 3 23 homicide attempts were registered throughout the year, 7 of which 2.5 22 2 occurred in Valle del . Buenaventura registered the 1.5 111111111111111 highest number of attacks against candidates (4). In 86% of the cases 1 0.5 the perpetrator is unknown; FARC was the supposed responsible for 0 the remaining 14%. 85% of the events occurred during September and

October (58%). 16 of the attacks were against candidates for mayors Cali Milán Neiva Timbío Pereira Pradera Juan de whereas 8 were against candidates for deputies. During some of the Villarica Florencia attacks, civilians resulted injured. Villamaría La Jagua de Villavicencio Chiquinquirá Floridablanca Buenaventura Sabanagrande Ansermanuevo

30 Threats 24 25 21 128 threats against candidates were reported during the electoral 20 16 campaigns; Antioquia was the most affected department with 24, 15 12 11 11 10 9 followed by Meta with 21. The most affected municipality was Riosucio, 10 7 in Caldas, where all the candidates from the Polo Democrático 5 22 Alternativo Party were threatened. Similarly, in , 21 111 candidates from the Conservative Party were threatened. In 66% of the 0 cases the author is unknown and in 28% FARC was reported as the Huila Meta Cesar Sucre Bolivar perpetrator. 79% of the events occurred during September and October Caldas Cauca Córdoba Valle del Valle Atlántico Norte de Risaralda Antioquia Santander and a significant 13% occurred in the month of July. 45% of the Santander Magdalena threatened are candidates for deputies and 43% are candidates for mayor.

OCTOBER 17 - 24 3 weekly humanitarian situation report | N°29

Kidnappings Department Municipality Kidnapping Tolima Rioblanco 1 8 kidnappings were registered between July and September; Antioquia Antioquia Anorí 1 and Tolima register the highest number each with three cases. In three cases the alleged kidnapper was FARC, the others are unknown. 7 of Antioquia Betulia 1 are candidates for mayor and 1 is a candidate for departmental Antioquia Vigía del Fuerte 1 assembly (deputy). So far, candidates remain kidnapped. Bolivar Regidor 1 Norte de Santander La Playa 1 Tolima Espinal 1 Tolima Líbano 1

OCTOBER 17 - 24 4