CPTnet
17 May 2007
 NARINO, COLOMBIA UPDATE: April 2007

CPT Colombia members Suzanna Collerd and Julian Gutierrez continued to
accompany CAMAWARI--The Council of Awa Elders of Ricaurte in April. As part
of this accompaniment, they met with military leaders to reach an agreement
on indigenous exemption from mandatory military service. They also
participated in joint work with the organization UNIPA--Unity of the Awa
People--and the Human Rights Ombudsman of Nariño to produce a document
regarding violations of human rights the Colombian government has committed
against the Awa. Additionally, CAMAWARI held an assembly of Awa leaders and
communities in the Gualcala reserve. Three Awa women died in a minefield
and the FARC guerilla group killed two other Awa at the end of the month.

1 April

CPTers met with Colonel Robayo, the commanding officer of the Cabal
Mechanized Battalion of Ipiales, the military unit with jurisdiction in the
southwest of Nariño. They discussed the work of CPT in the area and the
importance of respecting the autonomy and self-determination of the Awa
nation.

20 April

CPT accompanied CAMAWARI to a meeting with the departmental government and
the army. Their goal was to reach an agreement regarding military service
by the Awa people. According to Colombian legislation, indigenous nations
are exempt from mandatory military service and indigenous authorities carry
responsibility for certifying the status of members of their nations.
CAMAWARI wishes to issue identity cards to members of its community that
stipulate their exemption from military service. The Colombian army,
however, is demanding that the reserves that are part of CAMAWARI submit an
annual census to identify the indigenous youth. Once the reserves identify
the youth, the military says, they will not have to participate in the armed
services. The two parties did not reach an agreement.

23-26 April

CPT, invited by CAMAWARI, accompanied the Assembly of Governors and
Reservations. Assemblies for Awa communities are the most powerful
manifestation of Awa democracy. In these meetings, members from all
reserves---more than 200 people in this case--meet and make decisions for
the future of their people. Some of those in attendance walked three days
to attend the meeting. [See 5 May 2007 CPTnet release, "COLOMBIA: Awá
Democracy."]

On Thursday evening, news arrived that three women from the Nulpe Medio Alto
Río San Juan Reserve had been killed in a minefield. One of them was the
health promoter of the community, and another was a nine-year-old girl. The
community is worried, because its members do not know planted these mines.
The army had been camping in the zone recently, and the FARC had also been
present.

30 April

CPT and CAMAWARI traveled to Pasto to work with UNIPA, the Human Rights
Ombudsman (a government official), and Oxfam on the document on the
Colombian government's violation of human rights and international
humanitarian law vis-à-vis the Awa. On the same day, FARC guerillas
entered the Cauiquer Integrado la Milagrosa reserve and assassinated a
member of the community. They would assassinate another member of the
community the next day.