CPTnet
9 September 2005
COLOMBIA: Little enthusiasm in the Opon for planned paramilitary
demobilization
by Stewart Vriesinga
The demobilization of various groups of Colombia's United Auto Defense
Forces (AUC) under the Colombian government's Peace, Justice and Reparation
initiative has come to the area in which CPT Colombia works--Barrancabermeja
and the Ciénga del Opón region. In anticipation of demobilization,
government and Organization of American States (OAS) representatives invited
several Ciénga del Opón area communities to a meeting in the school of
La Florida on Tuesday, 30 August. Despite strong civilian interest in ending
all violence in the area, organizations attending almost outnumbered the
handful of local people who showed up.
Representatives of the OAS, which is overseeing the demobilization process,
explained that the entire BCB paramilitary group would not demobilize.
Remaining active members would be concentrated in one place, where they
would be closely monitored. Of those who do demobilize, those accused of
crimes would be held accountable under the Peace, Justice and Reparation
law, while the remainder would reenter civil society.
Local residents seemed far from confident about their future under the
proposed demobilization of paramilitaries operating in the area. Amongst
the fears and concerns they expressed were - the lack of securityin the
area - impunity on the part of already demobilized paramilitaries in other
parts of the country - the possibility that demobilized paramilitaries
guilty of crimes and assassinations would be inserted into their local
communities - the fact that only one of several illegal armed groups in the
area plans to demobilize - the historic fact that for decades illegal armed
groups, not the government, have presided over the area.
Locals were clearly not convinced that the Peace, Justice and Reparation
initiative included adequate provisions for their safety and security. Area
residents did, however, show some signs of enthusiasm when the president of
one of the local communities thanked the "patrons"--the OAS and other
organizations present--for their concern, but said that their future
security was something that local communities would have to work out for
themselves. Local residents agreed that local security issues cannot be
adequately addressed without entering into direct dialogue with the illegal
armed groups operating in the area.
In the Opón area, government authority often seems to be absent or remote,
while the power of local illegal armed actors is very much present,
immediate, and all too often deadly. Local community leaders, asked the OAS
and the other groups present to attend and support any initiatives on the
part of local communities to enter into dialogue with local armed groups.
OAS representatives were unsure that attending nongovernmental attempts at
dialogue was within the OAS's mandate, but promised to ask their superiors
in Bogotá. A second meeting with the OAS and other organizations will
occur soon after the local communities have met amongst themselves.
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