Colombia
20.02.01
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: child combatants handed over by the FARC
PRESS RELEASE
CHILD COMBATANTS HANDED OVER BY THE FARC IN COLOMBIA
Geneva, 20 February 2001
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) through its Director, Mr Eric Sottas and the Children’s Programme Officer, Ms Roberta Cecchetti, congratulates the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the decision to hand over 62 child combatants to representatives of the Government and international community. The hand over occurred on 14 February 2001 at the City Council of La Uribe, Department of Meta.
The Director of OMCT and the Children’s Programme Officer consider this to be an important step taken by FARC some days after having resumed the peace talks with the Government of President Andrés Pastrana, a step which gives new hope for reducing violence in Colombia.
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), while welcoming this concrete move towards peace within the country, calls the leaders of FARC to free all child combatants who are still within their armed forces and not to recruit new ones. OMCT also recommends that FARC leaders continue their peace talks with the Government with the aim of putting good intentions into practice to find a political solution to the conflict and to base the dialogue on the unconditional respect of human rights. Moreover, OMCT calls on all other actors involved in the armed conflict, such as ELN and Los Grupos de Autodefensa, to release all children who remain within their forces.
Furthermore, OMCT specially urges the Colombian Government to guarantee the security, the physical and psychological integrity of all ex child combatants, and to take all necessary measures to rehabilitate and re-integrate them, for them to enjoy a life where their rights are respected according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
End of release
CHILD COMBATANTS HANDED OVER BY THE FARC IN COLOMBIA
Geneva, 20 February 2001
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) through its Director, Mr Eric Sottas and the Children’s Programme Officer, Ms Roberta Cecchetti, congratulates the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the decision to hand over 62 child combatants to representatives of the Government and international community. The hand over occurred on 14 February 2001 at the City Council of La Uribe, Department of Meta.
The Director of OMCT and the Children’s Programme Officer consider this to be an important step taken by FARC some days after having resumed the peace talks with the Government of President Andrés Pastrana, a step which gives new hope for reducing violence in Colombia.
The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), while welcoming this concrete move towards peace within the country, calls the leaders of FARC to free all child combatants who are still within their armed forces and not to recruit new ones. OMCT also recommends that FARC leaders continue their peace talks with the Government with the aim of putting good intentions into practice to find a political solution to the conflict and to base the dialogue on the unconditional respect of human rights. Moreover, OMCT calls on all other actors involved in the armed conflict, such as ELN and Los Grupos de Autodefensa, to release all children who remain within their forces.
Furthermore, OMCT specially urges the Colombian Government to guarantee the security, the physical and psychological integrity of all ex child combatants, and to take all necessary measures to rehabilitate and re-integrate them, for them to enjoy a life where their rights are respected according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
End of release