The UN warns of the increase in violence against minors in Colombia

Recruitment of minors, kidnappings, sexual abuse or attacks on schools are some of the forms of violence that grew “disproportionately” against children in conflict zones in Colombia, the UN Secretary General warned in a report on Monday.

In his sixth report on children and armed conflict in Colombia, which covers from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023, UN chief Antonio Guterres said that this period “was characterized by a notable increase in six rapes.” » more serious, despite the decrease in clashes between the military and armed groups.

In that period, the organization verified 615 serious violations against 476 minors (306 boys, 166 girls and 4 whose sex is unknown), which represents an increase of 61% compared to the previous report.

Of them, 43% of the cases affected indigenous minors (170 cases) and Afro-Colombians (37).

Violence also increased against minors of other nationalities, mainly Ecuadorians and Venezuelans, the report warns.

With 339 serious violations (55%), the dissident groups of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) were the main responsible, followed by the National Liberation Army (107), the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) ( 52) and the Colombian Military Forces (27).

The highest number of verified violations was recorded in the first six months of 2023 alone, with 197.

The UN attributes them to the “strengthening of some armed groups and the expansion of their territorial and social control” in areas where the state presence is limited and poverty rates are high.

In this period, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs registered more than 111,000 displaced and confined minors, mostly indigenous and Afro-Colombian, mainly in the departments of Nariño, Chocó and Cauca, where 85% of the cases occurred.

Recruitment remained the most widespread violence against children, followed by murder, mutilation and kidnapping, which increased by 340% compared to the previous report whether for recruitment purposes or for ransom.

Sexual violence also increased, with 33 verified cases, compared to 14 in the previous report, as well as child abductions (44 compared to 10).

Attacks on schools and hospitals went from 8 in the previous report to 41 in the current one, as well as denial of humanitarian access.

The Secretary General asks the Colombian government for an “inter-institutional strategy to prevent the recruitment and use of boys and girls” and for an emergency response mechanism to be “quickly activated” to protect minors from this violence.

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