Photo: The Colombian.
Bogotá, 20th January (RHC) The caravan in Bajo Calima and Medio San Juan continues as a first step in the implementation of the humanitarian aid agreement reached between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The aim of the caravan, which began last Tuesday, is to carry out a first diagnosis of the humanitarian situation in this region, in which indigenous and Afro-descendent communities express their realities to the participating delegations, in order to create the conditions for further one near horizon, they can get out of confinement.
Furthermore, in the event of forced displacement, they return to their territory under the principles of voluntariness, dignity and security.
Upon completion of the first cycle of work of the Round Table on Peace Dialogues, the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) agreed to establish a system of humanitarian assistance to ensure the return of the displaced population and to end the initial situations caused by the violent conditions in the mentioned regions.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, this initial effort will focus on the indigenous and Afro-descendent areas of Bajo Calima and Medio San Juan, scenes of escalating armed conflict with serious consequences including displacement and detention of civilians. .
Government representatives and the peace agency ELN, accompanied by international members, listen to the residents and talk to them.
They will collect testimonies and suggestions from women, displaced families and social leaders to understand the specific situation in each zone, the urgent needs of the communities and their demands in the face of the armed actors located in their area today.
At the end, delegates will systematize the information gathered on the ground and present a report to the table that will provide the key input for accepting humanitarian aid in the region.
Divided into two commissions, the caravan crosses part of the territory made up of the Calima and San Juan river basins, as well as some points where currently displaced families are located in the Dagua and Buenaventura area.
Although the humanitarian aid initiative was born at the table of peace talks, this action is accompanied and integrated by delegates from social and territorial organizations, human rights defenders, international organizations, state institutions and representatives of the churches, he points out.
The indigenous and Cimarrona guards accompany the tour and help ensure the security of the commissions.
The caravan will also help show the urgency of dialogue, peace-building, return and the restoration of the violated rights of thousands of Colombian Pacific residents suffering the ravages of armed violence. (font: Latin Press).