Colombia/Ecuador: FARC dissidents launch attacks in border region

Event

Dissident fighters formerly affiliated with the demobilized FARC guerilla group (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) have launched several attacks in the Colombian-Ecuadorian border region in recent months. Since the beginning of 2018, over a half-dozen attacks have taken place in the region; notably, an improvised explosive device (IED) likely planted by an ex-FARC militant killed at least three Ecuadorian soldiers and wounded seven others in Mataje (Esmeraldas province) on March 20. At least 32 people have been wounded or killed by such IED attacks in the Colombian-Ecuadorian border region since the beginning of 2018.

Additional ex-FARC dissident attacks are relatively likely in area in the coming weeks.

Context

A peace deal between the FARC and the Colombian government was ratified by the Colombian congress in November 2016, officially ending an armed conflict that killed more than 260,000 people over five decades. However, some dissident ex-FARC militants remain active, including in the Colombian-Ecuadorian border region. In addition to carrying out acts of violence, ex-FARC members are also targeted by paramilitary groups trying to take over control of territory left vacant by the FARC.

Advice

Individuals in Colombia and Ecuador, particularly in the border region of Esmeraldas province (Ecuador) and Nariño department (Colombia), are advised to monitor developments to the situation. Due to the presence of a number of armed groups in Colombia - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, and local gangs in addition to the ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional) - some Western governments advise against travel to various parts of the country.