. | . |
Dutch eye Colombia peace deal over guerrilla's future by Staff Writers The Hague (AFP) Sept 2, 2016
The Netherlands said Friday it was closely watching the outcome of the Colombian peace deal and how it will affect a notorious Dutch woman guerrilla, wanted by the United States. An international arrest warrant for Tanja Nijmeijer, who joined the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC) rebel group in 2002, also remains in place, Dutch officials confirmed. "The Dutch foreign ministry is closely following the Colombian peace process," the ministry said in a statement to AFP. Bogota has told Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders that a transitional justice system -- which still has to be set up in the country -- will determine whether FARC fighters will be tried for human rights violations or receive amnesty, it added. A ceasefire between the Colombian government and the rebels came into effect on Monday ending a 52-year-long conflict. Colombians will now vote in an October 2 referendum on whether to back the deal hammered out in nearly four years of talks in Cuba, where Nijmeijer became the FARC's public face. Under the deal, a court called the Special Peace Jurisdiction will be set up tasked with prosecuting atrocities committed during the conflict in which some 260,000 people lost their lives. This will "still take some time," the Dutch foreign ministry said. "Therefore for the moment ... nothing can be said over what will happen to Tanja Nijmeijer," it said. Nijmeijer, 38, was born in the eastern Dutch town of Denekamp and joined the FARC in 2002 -- reportedly shocked by the disparities between rich and poor -- after travelling to Colombia to teach English. In an exclusive interview, she told AFP in 2012 she was "married" to the rebels' cause, but later admitted she sometimes got homesick and longed to make a brief visit back home. The United States has charged her with terrorism and conspiracy to commit hostage taking in the kidnapping of three American contractors in 2003. The men were freed in a military operation along with former Colombian presidential candidate and French citizen Ingrid Betancourt. "Tanja Nijmeijer is suspected of committing terrorist acts and war crimes. For now all international arrest warrants against her remain in place," the Dutch foreign ministry said. The FARC number two, Ivan Marquez, told AFP in June that a French woman was also among their ranks. She had called herself by the pseudonym Natalie Mistral during an interview with Radio France Internationale.
Related Links Space War News
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |