Colombia has, as is known, suspended a ceasefire with the Gulf Clan increasing the possibility of further clashes between the government forces and the drug cartel. According to several sources including the BBC, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a ceasefire with the country’s main drug trafficking cartel. Notably, the ceasefire had been appreciably agreed upon in December last year as part of the president’s plan for “total peace” in Colombia with several groups including National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels and dissidents of the disarmed former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group and the Gulf Clan. The sudden suspension of the ceasefire is a major blow to the attempt to end armed conflict in Colombia.
Definitely, Colombia has been in armed conflicts for decades leaving thousands of deaths. President Gustavo Petro declared Colombia’s total peace and willingness to end decades-long armed conflicts, which heavily affected the country in economic and other terms, with negotiations. The ceasefire agreements have shown the light of ending decades-long multi-dimensional conflicts in the Latin American country. But, in addition to renewed clashes with the Clan, the sudden decision to end the ceasefire with the Gulf Clan and start military operations against it — driven by its recent attacks on civilians and police and its support to illegal gold miners’ attacks in northwest Colombia —may have impacts on the ceasefires with other groups though this possibility is low at present.
Definitely, the criminal activities of drug cartels have enormous economic, social and other impacts in many countries including Colombia, rendered the world’s largest cocaine producer. It is notable that criminal groups in Colombia make almost as much money from illegal mining as they do from trafficking cocaine. Also, many young people are encouraged to join powerful drug cartels in the country because of high earnings. But armed fighting against drug cartels including the Gulf Clan, responsible for between 30 and 60 percent of the drugs exported from Colombia, alone may neither end their criminal activities nor restore peace. Fighting alone has not ended the activities of organized criminal gangs in Colombia earlier.
It is desired that the path of negotiations with drug cartels including the Clan, which is made up of former right-wing paramilitaries and active in many Colombian provinces, has developed relationships with other foreign gangs, is involved in illicit gold mining and people trafficking and broke up a 2006 peace deal negotiated by then-president Alvaro Uribe, remains in Colombia, even though fighting continues in the coming days. The government also needs to keep the option for negotiation to end hostilities with other armed groups including the ELN and the dissidents of the disarmed FARC— criticized for its numerous violations of the ceasefire agreement — to restore peace in Colombia.
It is further desired that ceasefires are continued with other groups including the ELN. But ceasefires for six months or more alone will not solve the problem of armed conflicts in Colombia, given that efforts are not continued to completely resolve armed conflicts. The government’s increased negotiation efforts may help to reach a lasting peace with armed groups. Armed groups’ refraining from the violation of the ceasefires and good intentions to restore peace with negotiations is also imperative.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
