At least 11,444 inhabitants of Bagadó are at risk for actions of the ELN
The Ombudsman’s Office issued Early Alert 013-2023 to demonstrate the risk and impact on human rights and International Humanitarian Law faced by the inhabitants of the municipality of Bagadó (Chocó), due to the actions of the illegal armed group ELN.
In the municipality of Bagadó, the Manuel Hernández Western War Front of the ELN is present, an organization that in two years has expanded and strengthened in this area.
The alert details the risk scenario facing the Bagadó community, including: merchants, the Afro-Colombian group of the Community Council of the Popular Campesino Organization of Alto Atrato (Cocomopoca) and the Tahami Alto Andágueda indigenous reservation of the Embera Katío ethnic group.
“We found in the Ombudsman’s Office that threats and intimidation against indigenous leaders, Afro communities and the civilian population have increased, in addition to extortion of officials, businessmen or merchants, and the planting of explosive devices. This increases the risk of collective and individual forced displacements, and of confinements”, said the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo.
Between January 2020 and December 2022, 1,328 people from this region were included in the Single Registry of Victims (RUV) for acts related to forced displacement, threats, crimes against liberty and integrity, and disappearance.
“I call on the authorities to immediately take actions to mitigate the risk of affecting the rights to life and mobility, so that these communities are not victims of forced disappearance, selective homicides, massacres, torture, sexual violence, displacement, and that the recruitment of girls, boys and adolescents be avoided”, highlighted the Ombudsman.
The entity that protects human rights presented 27 recommendations to civil and military authorities and institutions in charge of differential attention to communities with the purpose of guaranteeing the rights and mitigating the risk of the inhabitants of this municipality.
Finally, the Ombudsman reiterated his call to the ELN leaders to make real gestures of peace, to respond positively to the goodwill of the National Government, to make progress at the negotiating table and, in a special, cease any action that puts the civilian population at risk.