Russia expresses solidarity for the situation in Colombia

Published at: 24/01/2025 10:05 PM

At the recent session of the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) dedicated to Colombia, the permanent representative of Russia to the UN, Vasili Nebenzia, expressed his country's solidarity with the difficult situation facing the New Granada nation.

“National Liberation Army (ELN) units and FARC dissident groups must immediately cease fighting and violence against the civilian population. We hope that the country's authorities and Armed Forces will restore order in the region in a timely manner,” he said.

The Russian representative noted that the establishment of peace in Colombia has faced serious challenges, especially during the validity of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement.

He mentioned that the wave of violence in the Catatumbo subregion has caused dozens of victims, including unprecedented murders. “This is one of the biggest humanitarian crises in decades.”

Nebenzia highlighted Bogotá's determination to resolve conflicts through peace accords, but emphasized the need for negotiations with illegal armed units to have clear protocols and principles.

“They must be harmonized both with the authorities' general peace strategy and with the priority objective of implementing the Final Peace Agreement,” he added.

The Russian representative stressed that the recent tragedy in Colombia has revealed a key problem in the peace process, such as the lack of security for ex-combatants, social leaders and all victims of the conflict.

“What guarantees can be offered to former insurgents if they continue to be killed by dozens?” , he ruled.

Finally, Nebenzia argued that, in the current crisis, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia must maintain a constructive role and offer good offices, in addition to taking advantage of informal communication channels between the parties. He also stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of Mission officials, whose main objective is to verify compliance with the Peace Agreement.

Mazo News Team