Colombia
The security situation in Colombia remains unstable as levels of armed violence and poverty continue to rise despite a peace agreement signed in 2016 between the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).[1] As of 2022, reports state that human rights violations persist in the country.[2] Due to this instability, Colombia has very high levels of weapons and ammunition trafficking.[3] Landmines also remain an important threat in the country as non-state armed groups have continuously been replanting them in various areas.[4]
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), is present on the ground to help with the through-life management of ammunition in collaboration with the Colombian Ministry of Defence. Efforts have included regional and national seminars on Conventional Ammunition Management, and a study on small arms ammunition control measures contained in the legal frameworks of Latin American and Caribbean States.[5]
[1] “Conflict in Colombia: Increasing Violence, Political Changes and External Influences.” IISS, March 16, 2022. https://www.iiss.org/events/2022/03/conflict-in-colombia-increasing-violence-political-changes-and-external-influences.
[2] “World Report 2022: Colombia Events of 2021.” Human Rights Watch. Accessed July 18, 2022. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/colombia.
[3] “Guns in Colombia.” Gun Law and Policy: Firearms and armed violence, country by country. Accessed July 18, 2022. https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/colombia.
[4] ABC Group. “Colombia: Demining in Colombia Must Remain a Priority.” ReliefWeb, May 14, 2021. https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/colombia-demining-colombia-must-remain-priority.
[5] See A-MAP Database.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the beginning of data collection in 1979 by the Small Arms Survey, four accidental explosions were reported in Colombia (Table 1).
Table. 1 Accidental explosions in Colombia (1979-2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2017 | Santa Marta | State (military) | 0 | 4 |
2007 | N/A | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
2007 | Medellin | State (military) | 6 | 8 |
2003 | Yopal | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
Source: Small Arms Survey. n.d. Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS). Database.
Cases of diversion
Several cases of diversion have been reported since 2000 in Colombia (Table 2).
Table 2: Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition, and explosives in Colombia since 2000
Year | Location | Description |
2022 | Teusaquillo | Two officers were robbed of a rifle, a pistol and over 40 rounds of ammunition. |
2016 | Tolemaida | A group of men was stealing weapons’ spare parts from military stocks to resell them to non-state armed groups. |
2014 | Bogota | Seventeen pistols and three rifles were stolen from a police armoury. |
2013 | Cali | 400 weapons (including at least 50 AK-47s) were stolen from an evidence room of the army’s Third Brigade in Cali over four years. |
Source: Yagoub, Mimi. “Military Officers Arrested for Trading Stolen Arms.” Colombia News, December 19, 2013. https://colombiareports.com/military-officers-arrested-trading-stolen-arms/amp/. Wing, David. “Thieves Drug Guard, Steal 17 Pistols and Three Rifles from Police Armory.” Colombia News, December 5, 2014. https://colombiareports.com/amp/thieves-drug-guard-steal-17-pistols-three-rifles-police-armory/. “Desmantelan Red De Tráfico De Armas En La Que Participaban Militares Activos.” RCN Radio, April 28, 2016. https://www.rcnradio.com/colombia/desmantelan-red-trafico-armas-la-participaban-militares-activos. “Even the Military Is Not Spared Insecurity in Bogotá: They Stole a Soldier's Rifle.” infobae, April 22, 2022. https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/04/22/even-the-military-is-not-spared-insecurity-in-bogota-they-stole-a-soldiers-rifle/.
Disposal
Destruction, use, or export of ammunition as an indicator of a state’s ability to identify and decrease aging, unsafe, or surplus ammunition.
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Colombia.
Needs
Further requirements for an effective through-life management of ammunition in the country.
To further enhance safe and secure ammunition management, the following needs have been identified for Colombia:
- Development or refinement of standards and procedures on stockpile management
- Capacity development for the destruction of surplus stockpiles
- Information related to special ammunition, non-conventional ammunition, multiple-load ammunition and their components. Methods of disclosure are also required on the serial identification of firearms and their materials
Source: PoA Report 2022, Colombia. Please note that PoA reports focus on SALW and not specifically on ammunition. smallarms.un-arm.org/country-profiles/COL. See also AMAT Needs Data Set, 2022.
