Weekly Report - 29 July 2003

Demobilising the paramilitary organisations (WR-03-28) is not proving easy. Carlos Castaño, leader of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), the biggest of the lot, announced last week that the process was 'irreversible' -and almost in the same breath served notice that his fighters would not surrender their arms upon congregating in the 'concentration' areas. That, he said, will only happen when a deal is finalised. Castaño also made a pitch for international financial assistance to 'assist' the demobilisation effort. 

A couple of days later another of the signatories of the demobilisation accord, the Bloque Central Bolí­var (BCB), turned up in the town of Segovia, Antioquia, briefly abducted the mayor, and left behind a message: all those continuing to support the Bloque Metro would be killed. 

The Bloque Metro is one of the paramilitary organisations that broke away from the negotiations being conducted by the AUC, ostensibly because it saw these as a salvage operation for the paramilitary leaders involved in the drugs trade. 

An interesting sideline: so far this year, 250 members of paramilitary groups have surrendered to the government seeking the benefits of the 'reinsertion' programme. This compares with 751 members of guerrilla organisations.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 196 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial