ELN and FARC dissidents fight for control of Colombia’s Catatumbo

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The northeastern region of Catatumbo, in Colombia’s Norte de Santander department, has descended into chaos as clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents leave a devastating toll. An estimated 30 people have been killed, more than 20 injured, and at least 100 families displaced in the ongoing violence. Among the dead are demobilized former FARC rebels including five signatories of the 2016 peace accord, as well as civilians caught in the crossfire.

The conflict has drawn widespread condemnation and forced President Gustavo Petro to suspend peace negotiations with the Maoist guerrilla. Petro accused the organization of committing war crimes. “The dialogue process with this group is suspended; the ELN has no will for peace,” stated the leftist leader on “X”.

The violence has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations. Iris Marín, Colombia’s ombudsperson, described the events as “extremely grave” in a statement. “There are reports of over 30 dead, including peace accord signatories, community leaders, and children. Forced displacements, kidnappings, and confinements continue to plague the region,” Marín said. Local commerce has ground to a halt, with businesses in Tibú shuttering in protest and fear. Asocomerciantes, a regional trade association, issued a statement urging peace and condemning the violence: “This closure is a civic way to demand peace in our territory.”

This is not the first disruption to peace talks in Colombia. The ELN, which resumed negotiations with the government in 2022, has been accused of escalating violence in recent months. In September, the government halted talks after an ELN explosives attack killed two soldiers and injured 29 near the Venezuelan border. Talks faced additional obstacles when the government opened negotiations with an ELN splinter group in the southwest. At the same time, the ELN resumed kidnappings, bombings of oil pipelines, and attacks on security forces.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the representative of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Colombia, condemned the attacks and called for the protection of civilians. “I call on armed groups to cease violent actions,” Massieu said. “The true will for dialogue requires respecting the lives of those who have opted for peace.”

Indepaz, a Colombian peace monitoring organization, identified two of the victims as Albeiro Díaz Franco and Yurgen Martínez, who were part of a reintegration process in rural Teorama, Norte de Santander. Reports from the region indicate that ELN forcibly removed peace signatories from their homes, before executing them. Partido Comunes, the political party of ex-FARC, condemned the violence, highlighting the systematic targeting of former combatants and community leaders.

On Friday, over 50 teachers fled Teorama on motorcycles after clashes erupted within the municipality. Former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who brokered the 2016 Final Accord with FARC, called for renewed efforts to ensure security for those who demobilized under the agreement. “It is imperative and urgent to implement the peace accord with more vigor and effectiveness, particularly its security guarantees. We cannot allow the interlocutors in these dialogues to continue killing peace signatories and social leaders,” Santos said.

As the crisis in Catatumbo deepens, the government’s ability to maintain public order and safeguard civilians faces a major setback. Petro’s suspension of talks with the ELN is also a serious blow to his “total peace” agenda, one that resulted in a surge in violence across other departments where ELN and FARC dissidents exercise control. On Friday, Petro traveled to Tibú, Norte de Santander, to preside over a security council. An additional 300 members of Colombia’s Armed Forces will be deployed to the region in an attempt to curb the violence