An increase in mining has caused the displacement of a few thousand people in various parts of Colombia due to some illegally armed groups who want to take control through blood and bullets of any possible riches from mining.

The fundamental cause of displacements of the population was the internal war-in which 4 million people were displaced in 30 years- but since the beginning of 2008 when a boom began in mineral exploration and mining in Colombia, illegal armed groups and illegal mining has caused hundreds of people flee their homes.

An example of this is the departure in the last few days of more than 800 people from the small villages of Agua Clara, Sabaletas, Llano Bajo, Guaimia, Limones and San Marcos, to the port of Buenaventura, due to the boom in small scale mining and the resulting struggle with the illegally armed groups.

Humanitarian organisations in the region, contacted Tuesday by Xinhua, indicated that these afro-colombian communities live in a very difficult situation since last January due to the violent acts that have happened to them and also due to the harassment they have suffered from the Army in their villages.

Since this month (March), the families have stopped sleeping in their homes; some have spent the night with relations in the main town of Buenaventura, and the rest sleep in the open air in the forests, for fear of encounters with the illegally armed groups.

Buenaventura is the principal colombian town on the Pacific, and due to its proximity to the sea it is used by organised crime for the trafficking of guns and drugs.

Mining has led to the opening of a new front in the war between these armed groups to take control of the potential wealth from the illegal mining of metals, especially gold due to its internationally high prices.

In the middle of this struggle the settlers tell stories of violence and death, like the murder of a passenger on a bus on the 25th of February who “the subsequently buried half the body and left the rest visible a few metres from the road”.

“In this way they cause terror in the communities, helping themselves to goods from shops and other businesses in the area, and treating the local people badly”, said the source who preferred to remain anonymous due to threats in the area.

The relatives could only recover the corpse a week later to bury it, and they had to flee towards the main town of Buenaventura for fear of reprisals from rightwing ex-paramilitaries who are a group dedicated to organised crime and drug trafficking.

A week ago they threatened to burn them in their houses if they didn’t get out of the village, and that same day the corpses of two men who worked in illegal mines near the area were seen floating by in the river Anchicaya.

This situation has meant more than 800 people located in this and other villages have been displaced towards the main urban centre of Buenaventura, where they stay in the houses of relations.

“Traditionally, the displaced population from the rural area of Buenaventura and in a few cases of other municipalities along the Pacific is welcomed by the local town community, bearing in mind the solidarity which is characteristic of the afrocolombian culture of the Pacific”, he pointed out.

The problem is that these displaced people have to make themselves “invisible”, in order not to put pressure on the municipal authorities.

The Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) confirmed Tuesday that it will visit the area in the next few days to collect information first-hand, along with representatives from the Public Ministry and non-governmental organisations (NGO’s).

This UNHCR added that the displacement of settlers to Buenaventura is caused by the “deterioration in the security situation” in the area, for which the local communities became displaced in the early days of March, and fear increased it “after the sighting of two corpses floating in the river”.

Local authorities have focussed attention on the increase in illegal mining activities in the area and on the interests of the various illegally armed groups committed to establishing control over the industry.” added the UNHCR office in a communication.

Likewise he highlighted the possibility of a new displacement of people in the area after the disappearance of two community leaders a few days ago, apparently in events that have been linked to the actions of armed groups involved in the illegal mining.

“These acts are in addition to other recent actions in the department of Chocó, where more than 200 members of an indigenous Embera community of the municipality of Bajo Baudo found themselves displaced to the Banks of the river Pavasa, as a consequence of a siege by an illegally armed group”, added the UNHCR source.

[End]