Human rights office calls on Colombia to suspend airstrikes after confirming 5 deaths of children
Colombia’s human rights ombudswoman called on President Gustavo Petro Monday to suspend airstrikes against rebel groups in the South American country, after revealing that at least five teenagers had been killed in strikes conducted by Colombia’s military in October and November.
In a video published Monday, human rights ombudswoman Iris Marín said that at least one teenager, a female, was killed in a strike against the FARC-EMC rebel group in Arauca province last week, while four teenagers who had been forcibly recruited by the group were killed in another strike in the first week of October.
On Saturday, Marín had revealed that seven minors were killed in another strike against the FARC-EMC in the southern province of Guaviare, where the government has launched an offensive against Nestor Gregorio Vera, a powerful rebel leader known also as Iván Mordisco.
That means that at least 12 minors have been killed this year in airstrikes conducted by Colombia’s government.
Military prosecutors in Colombia announced Monday they had launched an inquiry into the airstrike in Guaviare, to determine if it had complied with international law.
“I want to urge the President to suspend strikes against groups in which minors could be present,” Marín said on Monday. “The life story of each one of these minors who dies in the bombardments is heart wrenching.”
Colombia’s government confirmed the deaths of the teenagers Monday, but officials have refused to suspend the strikes, and blame criminal groups in the country for putting children in danger by forcibly recruiting them into their ranks.