The U.N. envoy for Colombia called Wednesday for improved protection for former combatants who continue to be killed “in alarming numbers,” and he complained of rising violence and massacres by other groups that have cropped up since the 2016 peace accord. Carlos Ruiz Massieu told the U.N. Security Council that efforts must also be stepped up to fight impunity for these crimes, “including by bringing intellectual authors to justice.” “Priority should be given to staffing and resources for the National Protection Unit to clear the backlog of pending requests for protection for former combatants,” he said.
The U.N. envoy for Colombia called Wednesday for improved protection for former combatants who continue to be killed “in alarming numbers,” and he complained of rising violence and massacres by other groups that have cropped up since the 2016 peace accord. Carlos Ruiz Massieu told the U.N. Security Council that efforts must also be stepped up to fight impunity for these crimes, “including by bringing intellectual authors to justice.” “Priority should be given to staffing and resources for the National Protection Unit to clear the backlog of pending requests for protection for former combatants,” he said.