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PRESS RELEASE DIRECTED TO DISCUSSION TABLE FOR THE

END OF THE CONFLICT AND A STEADY AND LASTING PEACE

IN COLOMBIA

THE ANTIOQUIA TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE COMMITTEESSUBCOMMITTEE ON PREVENTION, PROTECTION AND

GUARANTEES OF NON-REPETITION

CALLS FOR

The National Government and the FARC to include in the discussiontable integral anti landmines action and the need to reach anagreement in order to move forward with demining operations and toput an end to the use of landmines.

Antioquia is the most affected department. Out of the 125municipalities, 98 were affected by incidents related to thoseexplosive devices and between 1990 and April 2013 2 303 victimswere reported, which represent 22% of the total amount of victims inColombia. Figures from the first four months of 2013 disclosed by thePresidential Mine Action Program (PAICMA) and processed by theGovernment Victims and Armed Conflict Departmental Observatory

show that 39 victims were reported in Antioquia: 34 were woundedand 5 were killed; 18 were civilians and 21 were military officers. Thisrepresents a 10% increase of accident rate.

The most affected municipalities are: Briceo (14 accidents), Ituangoand Amalfi (6), Dabeiba (4); Apartad, Cceres and Taraz (2); y

Anor, Segovia and Yarumal, with 1 reported case each.

The use of landmines infringes IHL, is expressly prohibited under theOttawa Convention and is contrary to the customary principle of

prohibition of means and methods causing unnecessary suffering andsuperfluous injury during hostilities, and to the principle ofdiscrimination of non-combatants from combatants and of civilianobjects from military objects as enshrined amongst other norms in the

Article 51 of the Geneva Convention Additional Protocol II.

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In this regard, the Subcommittee reckons that the serious humanitarianconsequences deriving from the use of landmines and the persistentthreat it poses including in the context of an armed conflict, make itimperative to address the issue at the discussion table.

This instance believes that the FARC must show their commitment tothe peace process by disclosing information on the location oflandmines in order to facilitate demining operations as well bycommitting themselves to stop laying landmines and explosive devices.This would reduce considerably the armed conflicts humanitarianimpact and would enable post-conflict actions such as the return of thedisplaced as well as land restitution.

One example of the Antioquian communitys major cause of suffering isthe humanitarian crisis and the emergencies in the northern part of the

department, especially in the town of Pueblo Nuevo (population center)and in the communities of El Orejn, La Mina, La Calera and Briceo,where - since January 2013 122 families are imposed mobilityrestrictions, which affect their basic livelihoods.

The Subcommittee also calls for the National Government to intensify itsefforts and increase the financial, human and logistical resourcesallocated to humanitarian demining operations.

Signatories are the following entities and organizations members of the

Subcommittee:

Antioquia Government

Antioquia Regional Prosecutor Office

Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines

Victims Participation Board - Valle de Aburra Region

National Protection Unit Antioquia and Choco Regions

ICBF (Colombian Family Welfare Institute)

Paz y Democracia Corportation

Antioquia Police Department