2024-07-28 17:11:28
In a successful joint operation, the Ombudsman’s Office, together with a mission from the United Nations (UN) and members of the Catholic Church, managed to free two minors who had been forcibly recruited by the Second Marquetalia, an illegal armed group. The release took place in a rural area of the municipality of Argelia, in the southwest of Cauca.
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The Ombudsman’s Office reported that the minors were found in vulnerable conditions, used as combatants in armed conflicts. The operation was carried out with the collaboration of the UN Mission in Colombia and the Catholic Church, highlighting the importance of international and religious cooperation in these humanitarian cases.
The young people remain in rural Argelia while their safe evacuation to their places of origin is being organised. The Ombudsman’s Office, in coordination with its regional office in Cauca, is monitoring the process to ensure that the rights of the minors are respected and protected.
The Cauca department has been one of the regions most affected by violence from illegal armed groups in Colombia. These groups, such as the Segunda Marquetalia, continue to confine communities and forcibly recruit minors to use in armed conflicts, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
It is important to mention that during the first half of 2024, the Ombudsman’s Office recorded 159 cases of forced recruitment of minors in Colombia, with Cauca leading the list with 125 cases. According to the Ombudsman’s Office, 51% of these minors belong to indigenous communities. Other affected departments include Arauca, Nariño, Putumayo, Norte de Santander, Cundinamarca, Amazonas, Guaviare, Huila and Vaupés.
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The Ombudsman reiterated its commitment to continue working with international and local organizations to ensure the release of all minors recruited by illegal armed groups.