Colombia: ELN carries out 16 attacks during armed strike Feb. 10-13 /update 2

Event

The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional; ELN) guerrilla group held an armed strike from Saturday, February 10, to Tuesday, February 13, during which ELN militants carried out at least 16 attacks. According to the Bogotá-based Resource Center for the Analysis of Conflicts (CERAC), the departments affected by the attacks were Arauca, Cesar, Antioquia, Norte de Santander, Cauca, and Nariño. ELN militants also clashed with security forces in three additional incidents in the departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, and Chocó. In total, four ELN militants, a police officer, and an army soldier were killed during the armed strike; no civilian casualties were reported. The attacks also resulted in several transportation disruptions across the affected departments.

During recent talks mediated by social leaders in Quito, the ELN refused to offer concessions as a prerequisite to restart peace negotiations with the Colombian government. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has stated that it would be "difficult to resume talks" amid ongoing ELN attacks. Additional ELN militant attacks, clashes with security forces, and transportation disruptions are expected in Colombia in the coming weeks.

Context

The ELN announced that it would hold a three-day armed strike in areas under its control from February 10 to February 13. All members of the ELN were ordered to participate and local residents were told not to travel during the strike. The ELN sought to force the Colombian government to return to Ecuador to restart peace talks with the group; previously, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ended negotiations with the group in mid-January after ELN militants launched attacks on military forces and infrastructure.

The ELN - one of the country's last remaining rebel groups following the demobilization of the FARC - is believed to have some 2000 fighters spread out over the departments of Nariño, Arauca, Boyacá, Norte de Santander, La Guajira, Cesar, Bolívar, Casanare, Santander, Chocó, Cauca, and Putumayo, particularly in rural zones. Peace talks began in February 2017.

Advice

Individuals in Colombia are advised to monitor developments to the situation, limit nonessential movement in areas affected by the forced strike, and allow additional time to travel.

Due to the presence of several armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, and local gangs in addition to the ELN - some Western governments advise against travel to various parts of the country.