Colombia - Humanitarian Situation Report 30

weekly humanitarian situation report | N°30

OCTOBER 25 - 31

1

weekly humanitarian situation report | N°30 Situation and events Events per department Nariño

9

V. Cauca

The Local Committee for IDPs Integral Assistance held a meeting on October 24 in order to asses the basic needs among the population displaced in the rural area of Inda Sabaleta

7

Antioquia

6

Putumayo Cauca Caquetá

5

Bolívar

Local, national and international organisations assessed unattended needs among IDPs: registry of population in the Official databases (which allows them to receive State’s aid), the resuming of the school calendar and the return of the population, still delayed due to the continuing armed confrontations around the indigenous reservations. According to ONIC, the displaced population will return once the area is totally demilitarised and free of mines.

4

Meta Magdalena N. Santander

3

Huila Cesar Santander

2

Quindío La Guajira Córdoba Chocó Casanare Caldas Boyacá Atlántico

1 0

3

6

9

Events Armed confrontations

22

Homicides

11

Mine/UXO victims 7

Attack against infrastructure

Post-electoral analysis

6

Ambush

4

Homicide of protected person

4

Threats

1

Forced recruitment

1

Kidnapping

1 0

With alerts issued by The Early Warning System and the Electoral Watch Mission, Colombia faced elections with OAS and Civil Society observation (28/10/2207)

5

10

15

20

25

Monthly trend October 93

Regarding the situation in Policarpa municipality, the permanent presence of illegal armed actors in the rural areas is causing continuing individual displacements toward neighbour departments. On the other hand, official sources reported the discovery of three bodies in a common grave. According to the source, there is an estimate of 50 bodies buried in the same area.

8

Attack against civilians

100

Follow-up: Awá displacement in Nariño

92

In Nariño and Córdoba, citizens started disturbances that ended in the homicide of 3 civilians and the destruction of electoral material. In Cienaga de Oro, Córdoba, one civilian died and the Mayor’s Office was incinerated due to the discontent of population towards results. As a preventive measure, more than 100 electoral posts were moved from rural areas in the departments of Bolívar, Cesar, Meta, Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Córdoba.

65

50 39 31 22

22

No less than 71 events altering public order and free and fair elections were recorded in 62 municipalities of 22 departments. Sucre, with 11 registered events, is amongst the most affected departments. According to information provided by the Security Administrative Department – DAS, armed confrontations were basically developed in the South - western region of Colombia, while fraud and other crimes against elections took place mostly in the Caribbean Coast.

22 15

0 9 to 16

17 to 24

Events

OCTOBER 25 - 31

Armed confrontations

25 to 31

Homicides

According to the Security and Democracy Foundation, these electoral period was the safest and lest violent in the last 10 years. The figures analysed by the foundation show an important 2

weekly humanitarian situation report | N°30 Armed confrontations Army - Undetermined 4%

Army/Police - FARC 4% Navy - FARC 4%

Army - FARC 52%

Army - Delinquency 8%

Army - ELN 8%

Army - "New emerging bands" 20%

Events during elections Disturbances, 23%

Fraud, 52%

Crimes against elections, 3% Armed confrontations, 11% Attacks to civilians, 11%

DATA HEREWITH PRESENTED WAS COLLECTED FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES BY OCHA

OCTOBER 25 - 31

decrease in homicides, kidnappings and in the number of municipalities affected by these events, with respect to the electoral period on 1997. The results of the elections show that the governmental coalition, with political parties such as ‘Cambio Radical’, ‘La U’, ‘Colombia Viva’ ‘Convergencia Ciudadana’ and ‘Alas – Equipo Colombia’, got 17 out of 32 Governor’s election, while at the departmental capitals, the coalition obtained 40.6% of the total possible. As this could be interpreted as a victory for the National Government, it is important to consider that at least 4 of the major capitals went to opposition parties. This is the case of Bogotá, where the main opposition party, the ‘Polo Democrático Alternativo’ obtained a significant victory with over 915.000 votes that represent 43% of total electors. In other main capitals as Cali (Valle del Cauca), Medellín (Antioquia), Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), Cartagena (Bolívar) and Pasto (Nariño), independent parties obtained majorities. Regarding the ‘Parapolitics’, the political map changed significantly in critical departments. For example, in Valledupar, Capital of Cesar, both, Governor and Mayor were elected from independent parties, representing a meaningful defeat over traditional political powers that actually have two senators and a former governor in prison. In Bolívar, candidates that where presumably supported by Enilce López ‘La Gata’, lost the elections at departmental and capital levels. In Santander, ‘Convergencia Ciudadana’ a party that established itself as one of strongest during the 2006 elections (five out of seven elected congressmen of this party are linked to the ‘Parapolitics’ process) , lost the departmental position against the Liberal party. However, in other departments, such as Magdalena, Córdoba, Sucre and Risaralda; candidates with known liaisons to imprisoned senators or politicians won departmental and municipal elections.

3