The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia (OIDHACO) believes that the revised peace agreement signed by the Colombian government and FARC guerrillas should be given a chance, and that restitution of land to displaced communities should be at the centre of the peace process in the Colombian regions affected by the civil war.
The signature of the peace agreement is "a time full of hope and a historic moment, but it also poses new challenges" linked to building peace, Marylen Serna, a member of the People's Congress in Colombia, told press on Monday 12 December. She underlined the importance of "the land being returned to those that live there and not to those that exploit it", although in her view, the peace agreement does not favour a reform of land ownership. Having taken part in a study trip to Cauca Valley, Hélène Ryckmans, a Green member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, spoke about these communities forcefully displaced from their natural reserves due to the expansion of the port of Beunaventura.
"We have the impression that with the signing of the peace agreement there are no more problems in Colombia", said Gwenaëlle Grovonius, a Walloon member of the Socialist Party, who called for the European trust fund for support to the peace agreement in Colombia to be used to accompany the restitution of land, and for responsibility from European companies and regional and local authorities in buying Colombian products as part of the bilateral trade agreement.
The support movement for Colombian civil society called on the EU to become both directly involved in Colombia, and via the United Nations, in order to ensure the respect of human rights and the disarmament of paramilitary groups on the ground, and in order to fight the feeling of impunity that reigns in the conflict-affected areas. After 73 murders in 2015, 70 human rights campaigners were killed in 2016, Miguel Choza noted on behalf of OIDHACO.
Aid fund to Colombia officially operational. The same day, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini signed the agreement establishing the EU trust fund for Colombia in the presence of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who was passing through Brussels after being awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize this weekend. 19 EU member states will contribute to the fund – Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom – which will have a total of €95 million from national contributions and the EU budget (see EUROPE 11560). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)