The participation of former combatants in the Truth Commission, particularly commanders of armed groups, is key for realising one of the Commission’s principal objectives: establishing which actors were responsible for atrocities committed in the armed conflict. This will also help the Commission clarify how and in what ways the conflict developed over the decades. This Snapshot analyses recent progress on this issue.
One of the main pillars in the Commission’s work is knowledge management, which focuses on the clarification, investigation, and gathering of information in order to develop a diverse understanding of the dynamics of the Colombian armed conflict. The purpose of this effort is to construct a collective narrative that takes into account such dynamics, acknowledging all sectors of society, most importantly the victims.
This snapshot explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the process of reincorporation. On 6 March 2020, Colombia reported its first case of COVID-19 coronavirus within what has since been declared a global pandemic. The crisis has exacerbated existing inequalities and needs, and the preventative measures applied, including curfews, lockdowns and self-isolation, have been felt across all corners of the country. The second reincorporation snapshot discussed the economic and security challenges that need to be tackled in 2020. The current crisis emphasises the need for urgent attention towards these same issues but also shows new opportunities and examples of co-responsibility and solidarity by FARC ex-combatants.
Between 5 and 11 March, a delegation from the Colombian Truth Commission organised a crucial series of events with the Colombian community in the UK, including victims of the state living in exile, students and migrants, along with leaders from different NGOs, unions, academics and UK political representatives. The visit achieved three objectives. First, to take the Truth Commission beyond London where it has focused the majority of its work over the past year. Second, to build confidence in the Commission and its work. And third, to build political support from the UK government which will help continue to reaffirm and legitimise the work of the Commission within the international community.
One of the central challenges of the Truth Commission is that both those giving their testimonies and the interviewers who are taking the testimonies require certain tools to manage the emotional impact of giving and listening to these stories. For the Commission, the importance of these testimonies lies not only in understanding the complexity of the internal armed conflict in the country, but also in recognising the stories of both victims and perpetrators throughout the years.
The Chamber for the Recognition of Truth of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) decided to open a case for the Urabá region, to investigate the crimes committed in the framework of the armed conflict between 1986 and 2016. The macro-case comprises 10 municipalities: 6 of them located in Antioquia (Turbo, Apartadó, Carepa, Chigorodó, Mutatá and Dabeiba) and 4 of them in Chocó (Carmen del Darién, Riosucio, Unguía and Acandí).
In this snapshot, we discuss the fourth Encuentro por la Verdad which focused on the experiences of rural farmers, in an effort to build bridges between rural and urban Colombia.
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has an open preliminary examination against the Colombian State since 2004 for crimes against humanity.
This snapshot offer some timely reflections about the TC’s progress in 2019 and we highlight some of the key challenges that lie ahead in 2020.
In this snapshot we explore how Colombia’s Truth Commission (TC) is working with children and young people to sow the seeds for an inclusive peace.
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