Inspectors of the International Criminal Court will begin monitoring
Colombia’s Armed Forces in November, commander Freddy Padilla
announced on Tuesday. The security forces have been criticized for the alleged
extrajudicial killings of more than 1,500 civilians.
According to newspaper El Espectador, the presence of inspectors will “ratify the transparency and legitimacy of the actions of the Armed Forces.”
Padilla told the newspaper that members of the country’s army and police are calm about the international supervision as their actions are “aimed at safeguarding the security and confidence of the Colombians within a framework of respect for human rights.”
The Armed Forces chief warned the FARC to fear the arrival of the international inspectors as their crimes will become more visible to the international community.
According to Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, more than a 1,000 soldiers and policemen are suspected of extrajudicial killings. The country’s intelligence agency DAS is also being investigated for the alleged illegal wiretapping of government officials.