The new protocol of the Colombian Army with the groups that accepted the ceasefire

The ceasefire that the Government of Colombia seeks to consolidate with various armed groups in Colombia such as the Segunda Marquetalia, the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada or the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (known as the Clan del Golfo) also has obligations for the Armed Forces of Colombia, which must modify their protocols against these groups.

A confidential document signed by Helder Giraldo, commander of the Colombian Military Forces —an institution that includes the National Army, the Navy and the Air Force—, and collected by the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, establishes 23 guidelines to act against this type of groups.

One of the most relevant changes is in point 2 of the document, which indicates that as of the agreement, offensive actions must be suspended and armed incidents between the Military Forces and the groups previously described must be avoided. The document requires commanders to pass these orders to their subordinates and “verify that the orders reach all levels of the chains of command.”

Within this framework, it also warns the military that, in the event of an incident with any of the groups included in the agreement, “it must be reported immediately to the chiefs of operations of each of the forces, deputy chief of staff of Joint Operations, Force Commander, General Inspectorate of the Military Forces and General Commander of the Military Forces”.

In addition, the document clarifies that if there are incidents “in no case will the right to legitimate self-defense and that of third parties be limited”, as well as the obligation to “act in the event of a crime in flagrant, in accordance with the regulations and rules of engagement and of the current use of force”.

Although there will be no offensive actions against the groups, the Military Forces will continue to monitor their movements. The document specifies that, from January 1, 2023, each force commander must keep a “daily record” of the movements of the groups, with the aim of “anticipating situations that may put the civilian population at risk, affect the troops themselves, the fulfillment of the constitutional mission and the development of the peace process”.

The troops must, in this context, “maintain permanent institutional control in the territories, blocking mobility corridors and nodal points used by the different threat-generating actors.”

Another of the particularities of the document is that it commits the security forces to “carry out and promote educational actions” so that the decrees that support the ceasefire are known by the population.

With information from Sputnik