A French army soldier has been held hostage for several weeks in Colombia. José Olger Melo Charry, corporal in the Foreign Legion, was kidnapped on August 6 while traveling in the department of Nariño, in the southwest of the country, a region where several armed groups are established. The case was made public Thursday by the Colombian army.
According to a report consulted by AFP, this Franco-Colombian soldier, engaged for four years under the French flag, was on leave in his country of origin at the time of his capture. He was allegedly targeted after his captors discovered that he belonged to the French army. Authorities have not specified the conditions in which he is currently being held.
Suspicion falls on dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), who refused the peace agreement signed in 2016 between the guerrillas and Bogota. The group in question would be placed under the authority of Iván Mordisco, one of the most wanted guerrilla leaders in the country. Active in particular in drug trafficking and illegal mining, Colombian armed groups continue to control or dispute several territories. Some also resort to kidnapping to obtain ransoms or exert pressure on the authorities.
Fight “without mercy”
The disappearance of the legionnaire comes at a time when the new Colombian power is showing its desire to toughen up the fight against guerrillas and criminal organizations. Arriving at the presidency at the beginning of August, Abelardo de la Espriella defends a policy of “merciless” fight against armed groups and drug traffickers, with the support of the United States.
This line contrasts with that of his predecessor Gustavo Petro. The former president had initiated negotiations with several armed organizations as part of his “total peace” policy. A strategy which did not make it possible to achieve lasting agreements between the main groups concerned.
