Colombia’s war on children. Watchlist on children and armed conflict

Guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, government armed forces and national police in Colombia, all perpetrate violence and abuses against civilians, including children and adolescents. The report draws attention to cases of torture, killings, maltreatment and other abuses committed by non-state armed actors and the government. These are infractions of international humanitarian law and human rights, yet the crimes are often committed with a high level of impunity. Young people have been killed and maimed, victimised by sexual violence, lured and forced into the ranks of combatants, used as informants, marked as targets and driven from their homes. Young people have been devastated by the culture of crime and violence that has evolved in Colombia due to the nexus of armed conflict, illegal drug trafficking and proliferation of small arms.