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| U.N. Calls for Colombia to Avoid 'All-Out War' |
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Posted by FoM on August 30, 2001 at 20:15:18 PT By Jason Webb Source: Reuters 
The United Nations made a dramatic call on Wednesday for Colombia's government and leftist rebels to make a fresh effort to negotiate a peace agreement and stop a slide into all-out war."The secretary-general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, is deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Colombia," Annan's special adviser on Colombia, Jan Egeland, told a news conference in Bogota. "I today appeal to all sides in the conflict to end the growing abuses against the civilian population and to make a renewed effort to negotiate in order to avoid an all-out war." He was speaking as a high-level U.S. delegation expected to press President Andres Pastrana for a more robust approach to the FARC guerrilla movement arrived in Bogota. As an Oct. 7 deadline looms for Pastrana to decide whether to allow FARC rebels continued use of a demilitarized enclave in southern Colombia, 2-1/2 year old peace talks are in one of their darkest moments. Colombia's war has dragged on for 37 years and claimed 40,000 mainly civilian lives in the past decade alone. But in recent years the conflict has grown as leftist rebels and right-wing paramilitary outlaws have used their jungle stronghold to muscle into the cocaine business. Always difficult talks with the 17,000-member Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- known by the Spanish initials FARC -- crashed in mid-July. In separate incidents, the guerrillas kidnapped three German aid workers and seized a former provincial governor from a marked U.N. vehicle. U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman arrived in Bogota on Wednesday and met Pastrana. The United States, which is providing about $1 billion in mainly military aid for Pastrana's anti-drug "Plan Colombia", says the FARC has misused its enclave for purposes including drug trafficking. "I have come to try to convey that Colombia matters very much to the United States," said Grossman, who is preparing for a visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell next month. The patience of many Colombians, who believe the FARC use their demilitarized zone as a military training ground and massive prison for kidnap victims, was already wearing thin. With presidential elections next May, an opinion poll last week for the first time showed hard-line candidate Alvaro Uribe -- who wants to get tough with the rebels -- in first place. United Nations Wants Next President To Seek Peace Other candidates have hardened their rhetoric against the FARC. But Egeland said only talks would avoid greater bloodshed. "Seeking a negotiated end to the conflict should become a state policy in Colombia, no matter who is president," Egeland said. He called on rebels to free kidnap victims and obey international humanitarian law. He said the government had not done enough to fight paramilitaries, who have killed hundreds of civilians this year in a dirty war against guerrillas. Further anti-FARC outrage flared in August, when soldiers arrested three suspected Irish Republican Army members accused of teaching the guerrillas how to make sophisticated bombs. In another blow to peace, the government in early August broke off contact with a smaller rebel group -- the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN. The army said on Tuesday that it had killed at least 50 FARC guerrillas in the southeastern province of Guaviare in one of its biggest offensives so far this year. "The decisions made in the coming months may well determine whether Colombia can secure a viable road to reconciliation and development, economic decline, widespread human rights violations and civilian suffering -- affecting not only Colombia but also the Andean region as a whole," Egeland said. Related Articles & Web Site: Colombia Drug War News U.S. Defends Anti-Narcotics Policy Many Colombians Back Decriminalization Powell To Travel To Colombia Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #4 posted by Sudaca on August 31, 2001 at 11:51:54 PT |
| UNDCP traditionally was a forum for US policy, and all committees formed around US leadership have traditionally faced insurmountable opposition to any change or any deviations from US intentions. This year this is changing mostly because the US was voted off a couple of Blocks. Maybe other voices will be heard this time. Notice that the UN racism conference is being boicoted by the US because there's talk equating zionism to racism. So ask yourself again, why has the UN not gotten in the involved in Israel? The US is not the leader of the free world, its the bully of the world playground, and has been since it got its plave as king of the hill after World War II. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by dddd on August 31, 2001 at 03:52:57 PT |
| ....The U.N. is little more than a spineless piece if impotent crap! Where the hell are they while Isreal butchers the Palestinians?,, [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by dddd on August 31, 2001 at 00:14:27 PT |
| ...It seems rather tragicly silly for the U freekin N,,to be talkin' along these lines,,,when they are the ones responsible for the UNDCP,which supports all the crap that is behind the worldwide gestapo-ism,that has allowed things to get to this point to start with....... ..The UN is little more than some kinda freaky lapdog of the global corporate evil empire.The shrub administration has more or less denounced it,by avoiding going to Durban,and playing weird tiddly-winks with all aspects of global policy.
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| Comment #1 posted by Phyro_the_Dragon on August 31, 2001 at 00:12:43 PT |
| Well its time to pack off your kids all to Colombia... Exptct to Get your Sons/Daughters home in a Box. Hear we GO Agin?!!!!!. [ Post Comment ] |
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