The civil population of Bellavista, Municipality of Bojaya, north
west Colombia have been caught up in fighting between the Marxist
FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the right-wing paramilitary
AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia). The FARC and the AUC
have been battling for control of this remote region for several years
as part of Colombia's civil war.
Project Counseling Service, ACT member in Colombia, reports that
on the afternoon of 2 May 103 persons were killed (38 of them children),
114 wounded and 80 disappeared when a homemade mortar was fired at
the Catholic church, where the population was sheltering.
On 1 May 2002 fighting started between the AUC operating from Bellavista
and the FARC operating from Vigia del Puerto - across the Atrato river
that separates the two villages. Following the explosion the inhabitants
of Bellavista – around 1,000 persons - fled to Vigia del Puerto, leaving
their dead relatives unburied. The situation is very precarious as
the fighting continues and humanitarian agencies cannot access the
area. Sources from the Catholic Church in the region report that more
than 45,000 persons are caught up in the fighting. Some of the population
have managed to escape down the Atrato River towards the provincial
capital.
Authorities attributed the homemade mortar attack to the FARC, but
it is unclear if they were aiming for the church. It is also reported
that the authorities ignored alerts from different NGOs, as well as
from the High Commissioner on Human Rights in Colombia and the Ombudsman,
regarding the high risk that the population of that region was facing
due to the movement of the two armed groups in the region.
The ACT member in Colombia, PCS, reports that they are mobilizing
their partners in the region to support the affected population.
An appeal for the displaced population in Colombia was issued
on 18 March 2002. However, the response from the network has been
very slow (5.78%). The ACT CO requests our members to consider contributing
to this appeal.
