Colombia’s AG ordered to provide information on 546 disappeared members of security forces

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal has given the Attorney General’s Office 45 days to supply critical information that will assist in the search, identification, and dignified return of 546 members of Colombia’ armed forces who were victims of forced disappearance during the height of the country’s internal conflict.

This latest development is part of the ongoing efforts to resolve cases of forced disappearance commmited during the late 1990s and years leading to the Final Accord with FARC. The JEP, which oversees transitional justice in the wake of the country’s 2016 peace process, issued the order, urging the Attorney General’s Office, along with several law enforcement agencies, to provide essential data on the missing personnel.

The Attorney General’s Office is expected to work with the Judicial Police Investigation Section (SIJIN), the Criminal Investigation Directorate (DIJIN), the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI), the Unit for the Search of Disappeared Persons (UBPD), and the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF) to compile the required information.

The 546 members, who include soldiers, police officers, and other security personnel, have officially been reported missing by the Ministry of Defense. The case was highlighted during a follow-up hearing on December 12, 2024, when the Ministry presented evidence of the ongoing measures to locate the disappeared. The law is designed to provide legal protections for women searching for loved ones who were victims of forced disappearance, especially within the context of Colombia’s long-standing internal conflict with FARC.

The deadline set by the JEP is part of a larger effort to implement national precautionary measures in regions where atrocities were committed. This measure also seeks to advance the search for, identification of, and dignified return of victims of forced disappearance, as well as ensure the right to memory and truth for the victims’ families. The tribunal emphasized the importance of collaboration between governmental institutions to overcome challenges that have hindered the search efforts for years, especially in rural areas where mass graves have been documented.

The decision to include missing members of the Armed Forces also reflects a broader commitment by the JEP to enhance transparency and accountability in the search for the missing. While the exact details of the cases remain confidential due to ongoing investigations, the Ministry of Defense’s report indicated that the disappeared individuals include 384 soldiers from the Army, 139 officers from the National Police, 13 personnel from the Air Force, and 10 from the Navy.

While the information remains restricted, the presentation of these numbers represents a significant step toward addressing the human rights violations of the past. The JEP has also ordered the Ministry of Defense to clarify identification documents for 62 of the disappeared within the next 10 days, further accelerating the effort to reunite families with the remains of their loved ones.

Magistrate Raúl Eduardo Sánchez Sánchez, who is overseeing the precautionary measure, highlighted the importance of inter-institutional cooperation in overcoming the logistical and legal obstacles that have delayed the identification and return of the missing. The judicial representatives acknowledged the ongoing work of the Attorney General’s Office, which has been praised for its diligent investigation into these cases.

“We have decided to extend the 45-day deadline to allow the Attorney General’s Office, which has been working diligently on these investigations, to gather the necessary information to help us locate and fully identify the disappeared members of the public force,” said Sánchez. “This extension is crucial in ensuring the progress of the search and identification efforts.”

The JEP has made important strides in addressing forced disappearances, with 23 precautionary measures issued to protect forensic sites near estuaries and one within Medellín’s Comuna 13 – La Escombrera. The so-called ‘Medidas Cautelares’ across the nation have led to the exhumation of 1,701 bodies, of which 173 have been identified and 98 have been returned to their families. The JEP continues to prioritize the rights of the victims of forced disappearance, aiming to ensure truth, justice, and reparation for those affected by the conflict.

The Colombian government has long struggled to address the issue of forced disappearance, with thousands of persons still unaccounted for. The JEP’s efforts are seen as a critical part of the broader peace process, which aims to bring closure to the families of those who have disappeared and ensure accountability for the perpetrators of these human rights violations.