COLOMBIA: Indigenous Women in Colombia Caught up in Conflict

In Colombia, indigenous groups continue to be targets in the 45-year conflict. Testimonies from displaced Embera women tell of physical abuse and rape.

According to UNHCR, more than 2,000 indigenous Embera people from 25 communities have fled their collective territory in the jungles of north-west Colombia since the arrival, about a month ago, of a newly formed irregular armed group. The refugee agency expressed its concern at the reported cases of systematic sexual violence committed against Embera women. The UN team heard evidence of two cases of rapes, two attempted rapes and a mass rape. However, the numbers might be higher, considering the cultural taboo against the disclosure of sexual violence.

"I was washing clothes in the river when they arrived," a young indigenous woman recounted to UNHCR. "Two men grabbed me by the neck, but I managed to slip through and they were left with just my shakira [a traditional beaded necklace] in their hands. I grabbed my baby and ran into the jungle."

The armed conflict and forced displacement puts at least 27 indigenous groups at risk of extinction in Colombia. UN agencies stress that their survival depends greatly on being able to remain on their traditional lands. In a January ruling, Colombia's Constitutional Court gave local and national authorities six months to report on actions taken to protect endangered indigenous communities, particularly in the Baudo region.

Colombia's indigenous population is about one million out of the country's total of over 45 million. The Supreme Court in Colombia has warned that indigenous peoples in the country face genocide. The groups, whose territories are often located in areas rich in natural resources, have been caught up in the conflict between government forces, paramilitary and left-wing rebels. UNHCR said recently that the civil conflict is posing a growing threat to the survival of some of the world's oldest and smallest indigenous groups. In late March, more than 1,700 inhabitants from the Wounaan group in the region of Chocó fled and two of its leaders were killed.

"All indigenous communities have close links to their ancestral land, on which their cultural survival depends," UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said to BBC News.

On International Women's day, Amnesty International sent out several support actions for indigenous women's organizations. As an example, they wrote to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe about the difficult situation of the organization “Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu,” and urged him to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which encourages Member States to develop strategies that include women in peace-building and reconstruction efforts.

The position of indigenous people's organizations thus far has been of non-involvement in armed conflicts. This has lead to often tense relationships between indigenous groups and all parties to conflict, including government, guerrilla groups, para-military forces and drug cartels. Since 1991, the Colombian constitution respects the autonomy of indigenous groups, but President Uribe has insisted that no part of the Colombian territory should be excluded from government and military control.

In the Arhuaco community of Kankawarwa, the inidigenous population has abandoned their position of neutrality in order to secure government support, joining the government in its struggle against the guerilla groups. However, some inhabitants of the community are critical of the change of policy. Leonor Zalabata said to BBC Mundo that she is afraid the cooperation with the government will mean more control over the population in spite of the autonomy guaranteed by the constitution. She also expressed concern about government army soldiers in the territory.

“It is not so much the retaliation from the guerrilla, but the actions of the soldiers. We have already heard testimonies about soldiers who have abused and raped our women,” she said.