Versión Español
EnglishColombia’s Inspector General Fernando Carrillo denounced on July 18 that FARC guerrilla members who refuse to abide by the disarmament accords continue to forcefully recruit minors.
According to reports, he claimed, FARC dissidents continue to kidnap children to increase their ranks, perpetuating the decades-old cycle of violence in Colombia linked to insurgent guerrillas.
- Read More: FARC Dissidents Still Armed, Causing Violence in Colombia
- Read More: Not Even Colombia’s President is Pleased with FARC Accord He Brokered
During a hearing for the victims of Colombia’s armed conflict, Carrillo warned that this is one of the most complex issues of the deal reached between the FARC leadership and the Santos administration, so he called for measures needed to protect the rights of minors who are exposed to forced recruitment.
In addition, the inspector general asked the FARC guerrilla leadership to clarify the number of children still in their ranks.
“The Colombian people is expecting them to comply with the agreements, that they be honest about the issues of minors and property, so that the process can recover legitimacy,” he said.
“We are waiting for government authorities to certify that they have indeed released all the children,” Carrillo said. The official certificate regarding the number of minors in FARC camps is expected in the following days.
Carrillo hopes that the FARC guerrilla will comply with the agreements as this will lend strength and credibility to the final agreement before the Colombian public.
Finally, he restated the commitment of Colombian authorities to ensure the protection and rights of minors released from FARC units.
Si en el centro de la construcción de la paz están las víctimas, se debe trabajar por su reconocimiento y satisfacer sus derechos pic.twitter.com/Tenx8ONqz0
— Fernando Carrillo F. (@fcarrilloflorez) July 18, 2017
“If we put victims at the center of building peace, then we should working towards acknowledging them and fulfilling their rights.”
Source: Blu Radio.
