Ecuador: FARC dissidents on Colombia border kidnap two people /update 3

Event

On Tuesday, April 17, the Ecuadorian government confirmed that two people had been kidnapped by a group of former FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) dissidents working under the name the Oliver Sinisterra Front, which operate along the Colombia-Ecuador border. The incident comes amid the launch of an Ecuadorian government operation against drug-related dissident violence on Friday, April 13, after two journalists and a driver were kidnapped by the group in Esmeraldas province on March 26 and confirmed dead on April 13. Ecuadorian security forces have arrested at least 43 suspected members of the group in recent days. Additional security forces raids on suspected ex-FARC dissident positions along the Colombia-Ecuador border are possible in the coming days and weeks as the security operation continues.

Context

Security along Ecuador's border region with Colombia has deteriorated in recent months due to an increasing presence of Colombian organized crime groups, notably militants of the now-demobilized FARC guerrilla group who have refused to adhere to the 2016 peace agreement. A state of emergency in the border cantons of San Lorenzo and Eloy Alfaro (Esmeraldas province), recently extended to April 28, was initially declared following a bombing that targeted a police station in San Lorenzo on January 27, wounding some 30 people. The attack has been attributed to ex-FARC dissidents and was likely in retaliation for security operations targeting drug trafficking along the Colombia-Ecuador border. A string of violent incidents has since occurred in the border region, including the following recent events:

• March 20: An improvised explosive device (IED) killed three soldiers and wounded six more in the Mataje area of Esmeraldas province
• March 26: An IED attack damaged a military vehicle in Mataje
• March 26: The Ecuadorian army discovered a vacant FARC camp in the Putumayo area of Sucumbíos province
• March 26: A team of Ecuadorian journalists was kidnapped in Esmeraldas by suspected ex-FARC militants

Advice

Individuals in Ecuador, particularly those in or planning travel to the Colombia-Ecuador border region, are advised to monitor developments to the situation and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.