After a meeting yesterday with Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, the Cauca indigenous communities announced a dialogue had been opened up to reestablish peace in the region.

During the meeting, Santos apologised for the armed conflict that has taken place in the region, but stated that he would not withdraw forces from the zone. The communities responded by reiterating their demand for the demilitarization of the Cauca, presenting him with a document that demanded the army leave.

The area has become increasingly militarized in recent months with the escalation of the conflict between government forces and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In one area alone, more than 3,000 people have been displaced since July.

The dialogues, which are timetabled to last for the next four months, will also confront the territorial claims of the communities, as well the development of the economic, social and cultural rights of the indigenous populations in the region. But the government had suspended a similar dialogue on Sunday, the same day local spiritual leader Lizandro Tenorio was shot dead.

The round tables were due to start today, and will be composed of government delegates, ministers, and representatives of the indigenous people of the Cauca.

As indigenous groups seek to demilitarize the Cauca region in Colombia, the Organización Nacional Indígenas de Colombia (ONIC)  has released a document that estimates 9,000 people have been forced from their homes and a total of 54 native peoples killed throughout the country since January 2012.

The ONIC released the public document in commemoration of International Indigenous Day. The organisation said that the areas most affected were Paez with 17 killed, 15 in the Embera region and the Awa region with five.

The document also showed that between January and July 2012, there were 24 registered events of mass displacement that affected approximately 1,890 families, nearly 9,000 people.

Colombia has experienced internal conflict between its aboriginals, guerrilla groups, military and government. Within the past months, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), military and police forces have been fighting in the Cauca region to the south of the country.

The recent violence in this region has risen causing concern over human rights violations, especially of the indigenous population.

Since releasing the document, the ONIC has asked for immediate intervention on part of the international courts and has appealed to the United Nations on the basis of preventing genocide.

Last Thursday, an indigenous rights specialist for the United Nations, James Anaya, has asked the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, to act quickly and to consult the native people before establishing a military presence on their territory.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have announced that they will withdraw from the area of Cauca if the Colombian armed forces and police leave. The FARC have also revealed that they have in their custody two pilots that have been missing for two weeks.

FARC leader Rodrigo Londóno Echeverry – commonly known by his alias ‘Timochenko’ – stated yesterday on Caracol radio, “if the army, the police, and the paramilitaries leave Cauca, if they end their war against the indigenous people, the farmers, the miners, and the people in general, we will not have any problem with leaving also.”

He further stated, “if in Colombia military operations were to cease, the bombings and the machine gunning, the forced displacement, the clearing of the earth, the crimes against the people and the impunity, with all security, there would be no reason for the existence of guerrillas.”

Colombian Minister of Defence Juan Carlos Pinzón responded to FARC’s statement by reiterating that government forces would not withdraw from the region. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has made similar statements in recent weeks.

Pinzón remarked, “That is like living in a film. Our aircraft will continue flying [in the region]”.

Echeverry’s statement responded to a 17th July communication from the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (Acín) calling for removal of armed forces in the Cauca area. After neither government forces nor the paramilitary groups heeded repeated requests for their removal from indigenous communities in the region, conflict increased in the week following 17th July when indigenous forces near the town of Toribío began to dismantle army and police bases.

In yesterday’s speech, Minister of Defense Pinzón implored the indigenous communities not to be tricked by the FARC, stating that “the only thing [the FARC] do is consistently lie to Colombia all the time”.

He further suggested that the FARC are behind the indigenous insurgent movement in the region, stating, “they call on the communities, they pressure them, they organise mobilisations; to those communities, please denounce the insurgents so that they can be captured”,

Pinzón’s allegations of links between the FARC and indigenous forces echoed earlier statements by President Santos.  On Tuesday, indigenous communities in Cauca requested that the government retract earlier statements to this effect.

A representative of the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC), Jesús Chávez, stated, “in reunions between the government and the indigenous communities, respect should be paramount and for this reason we continue asking that the government clarify and explain the subject of the alleged links with the FARC”

He further declared, “It is not true that the indigenous communities are infiltrated by the guerrilla forces. We are requesting the withdrawal from our territory of both the FARC and the military, which demonstrates that we are neither on one side nor the other.”

In its 17th July statement, the Acín stated that the “the guerrilla forces do not bring peace”.

The confrontation in Cauca, which began after the FARC increased violent attacks in the region, has escalated severely since early July. An estimated 3,000 people have been displaced because of the violence in the area around Toribío alone. Five people have died in the confrontation, including two members of the indigenous community and three members of the police.

Yesterday, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights expressed its concern for the effects of the conflict on the civilian population. The organisation noted “the situation of the indigenous communities in Northern Cauca has gotten worse recently, as a result of the increase in armed conflicts”.

The FARC also announced yesterday that they had in their custody two helicopter pilots who had been missing for two weeks. Carlos Alvarez and Alejandro de Jesús were kidnapped on 10th July in the city of Argelia, which is near Cauca. They had executed an emergency landing in the area.

The FARC requested the formation of a committee with representatives from the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Human Rights Network Isaías Cifuentes to coordinate the release of the prisoners. They also specifically requested the suspension of air operations to facilitate the release.

The paramilitary group revealed that they had mistaken the pilots, who were privately contracted, for members of the military.

The FARC further stated that anyone hoping to “carry out a flyover, study or other work in the regions where the revolutionary guerrilla forces of the FARC-EP maintain a presence should first have the approval of the community that lives in the area and second inform the revolutionary insurgency of his activities”.

After Colombian soldiers were expelled by indigenous leaders from the Cauca region yesterday, President Juan Manuel Santos announced that he plans to investigate the occurrences and bring these leaders to trial. He called yesterday’s incidents “unacceptable” and asked the local community to cease all violent actions, according to Télam.

In protest of the violent conflict taking place between the Colombian military and members of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)  in the area, the indigenous community in Cauca dismantled barricades built by both the army and the FARC. Members of the community also pushed out a few soldiers who were guarding antennas. Army and government officials believe such actions constitute a serious attack against the military and that indigenous leaders responsible should be brought to trial.

President Santos did acknowledge, on the other hand, that the real enemy of the Colombian forces is the FARC and that his administration respects indigenous communities, Military officials do not seem to agree – General Jorge Jerez stated that the “guerrillas of FARC and the indigenous are working together to remove troops,” as reported by Pulsar News Agency.

Indigenous authorities denied such accusations and submitted a public letter to the FARC asking them to remove their troops from the territory. The letter told FARC that “we do not need your presence because the guerrilla does not bring us peace; you attack our civilians, you disrespect our authority and our justice,” as quoted in Télam.