Since the beginning of June, armed clashes between the ELN guerrillas and the paramilitary AGC in the Colombian department of Chocó have resulted in the displacement of over a hundred families and the confinement of approximately 800 families along the San Juan and Sipí rivers.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Peace (OACP) conducted a “MissionPeace” to assess the situation and reported these communities’ alarming conditions.
San Miguel, located on the San Juan River, has displaced more than 130 families, with some relocating to the city of Istmina and others dispersing to neighboring towns.
Meanwhile, approximately 800 families are confined to the municipal capital of Sipí and surrounding hamlets.
The crisis has drawn comparisons to the turbulent period between 2000 and 2004, marked by intensified conflict between the now-defunct FARC and the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).
Ironically, these clashes occur while the ELN is engaged in negotiations that include provisions for “humanitarian relief” in the Bajo San Juan area.
However, in this region, the ELN continues to engage in fierce clashes with the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC) or Clan del Golfo.
The struggle for territorial control has displaced communities and subjected them to extensive confinement, leading to increased malnutrition and limited access to essential services.
The High Commissioner testified that both the ELN and AGC have impeded the movement of civilian boats on the Sipí River and erected roadblocks, resulting in shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
Additionally, there are concerns about the presence of anti-personnel mines, hindering access to vital crop fields and further exacerbating the communities’ already precarious situation.