BOGOTÁ: The United Nations has demanded the immediate release of nine medical mission members kidnapped by an armed group in southern Colombia.
These healthworkers were detained by a non-state armed group in La Plata according to the UN Human Rights Office in Colombia.
The UN office did not specify exactly when the workers were taken captive.
La Plata is located in the Hulia region where holdout members of the now-defunct FARC guerrilla group are known to operate.
The UN Human Rights Office urged the immediate safe release of the nine medical mission members allegedly detained by the armed group.
Most FARC guerrillas demobilized following the 2016 peace accords but several factions have since rearmed.
These factions now operate as at least four dissident groups that frequently conflict with each other.
These groups compete for control alongside the ELN the Clan del Golfo Cartel and dozens of other gangs.
Colombia remains the world’s leading cocaine producer despite ongoing security challenges. – AFP
