Buenos Aires, Mar. 18, (dpa/GNA) – Following an attack by suspected rebels on indigenous people in south-western Colombia, the government of the South American country has terminated the ceasefire with a splinter group of the former guerrilla organization FARC.
From Wednesday, the armed forces and police will resume their operations against the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) in the departments of Nariño, Cauca and Valle del Cauca, according to a decree published on Sunday.
According to media reports, EMC fighters attacked the indigenous village of Toribío in the department of Cauca. At least one woman was killed and several other people were injured.
“The EMC of Cauca on its different fronts did not give any sign from the beginning of wanting a serious peace process. They believed, very wrongly, that the negotiation was to strengthen themselves militarily,” wrote Colombian President Gustavo Petro on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Colombia suffered through a 52-year-long civil war waged between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the country’s military that left 220,000 people dead and millions more displaced.
The largest rebel organization, FARC, signed a peace deal with the government in 2016 and laid down its arms.
The EMC rejected the deal and split from FARC. Today, it is primarily involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining and protection rackets.
The security situation in Colombia improved following the 2016 agreement, however parts of the country remain under the control of other rebel groups or criminal organizations.
The Colombian government had initiated peace talks with EMC in September. After taking office in 2022 Petro, an ex-guerilla fighter, invited criminal groups, rebels and paramilitaries to enter peace negotiations.