UN alarmed by the presence of paramilitaries in Honduras
Micheletti denied that the Government had hired someone "to cause harm to a Honduran"
AGENCIES - Geneva - 10/10/2009
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A group of experts on the UN Human Rights yesterday admitted his concern at the alleged use of Colombian paramilitaries in Honduras to support the coup of June 28 that ousted then-President Manuel Zelaya. The other concern of the international organization is that the paramilitaries are being recruited to protect property and individuals in the subsequent violence that erupted in clashes between supporters and followers Zelaya de facto executive.
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About 40 former members of the United Self-Defense of Colombia (AUC) were hired by landowners in Honduras since the coup which installed the de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, according to information available to the panel. Other sources cited by the UN talk about the formation of a group of 120 paramilitary forces from various countries of the region that have come to support the coup.
The de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, denies any such recruitment of former Colombian paramilitaries to protect individuals or property in Honduras. "The government absolutely has not hired anyone to cause harm to another Honduran, or what ever we do," stressed Friday.
The experts expressed their disquiet over allegations that the police and mercenaries used listening devices over long distances against Zelaya and his supporters, who are refugees in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa from his secret return to Honduras on September 21.
"We urge the Honduran authorities to take all practical steps to prevent the use of mercenaries in their territory and to fully investigate the allegations concerning their presence and activities," reads a statement from the group consisting of five experts and chaired by the Spanish Jose Luis Gomez del Prado.
UN confirms presence of paramilitaries in Honduras
Apparently 120 men participated in the coup of June 28.
Friday 9 October 2009
According to the newspaper El Tiempo, admission came after the coup of June 28, which removed from power, President Manuel Zelaya.
There is talk of about 120 mercenaries, who have come to support the coup and servicing of the alleged Honduran entrepreneurs who are hired to care for their land, as the report highlights expert working group of the UN, released September 12.
"The paramilitaries offered a million and a half pesos to farm business assumptions," says the report, which also indicates the possible interception of communications against President Zelaya and her refugee supporters who commit to the police authorities of that country .
"The paramilitaries offered a million and a half pesos to farm business assumptions," says the report, which also indicates the possible interception of communications against President Zelaya and her refugee supporters who commit to the police authorities of that country .
"Colombian paramilitaries in Honduras?
Honduras faces the challenge of security.
United Nations experts warned about the alleged use of "mercenaries" in Honduras, referring to former paramilitaries in Colombia and other Latin American countries.
A statement from the Working Group United Nations on the Use of Mercenaries said that "according to information available to date, some 40 former members of the United Self-Defense of Colombia (AUC)" were recruited by landowners in both Honduras personal protection as that of their properties. "
The document adds that some sources of information, "mention the existence of a paramilitary group of 120 different countries" of Latin America "to support the coup" and in anticipation of "acts of violence."
Established by the Human Rights Commission of the NGO Working Group is composed of five independent experts, including the Colombian Amada Benavides de Perez and the Spanish José Luis Gomez del Prado with colleagues from Fiji, Libya and Russia.
Proof?
But what the alert is based on the paramilitary presence? Gomez del Prado told BBC News that "there is much information, especially news and information from other sources on the recruitment of mercenaries."
When asked if the Working Group has evidence, the expert acknowledged: "We have no evidence. But several sources converge on the same information. Tests can not have unless we do an investigation and that takes a long time (... ) If it is true that the de facto government tells us that such information is untrue, and we invite you to make a spot investigation.
In the words of Gomez del Prado, "we want to show our concern to the international community (...) What we can do now is to express our concern the de facto government."
The expert noted that Honduras is a signatory to the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, a legal instrument prohibiting such activities.
The UN investigates allegations of alleged mercenaries in Honduras
October 9, 2009, 06:55 PM
GENEVA (AP) - UN officials said they were concerned about reports that landowners in Honduras former Colombian paramilitary hired as mercenaries by the possibility of violence at the governmental tensions.
A working group on mercenaries, the UN said it had received reports that up to now some 40 former members of the AUC in Colombia have been recruited.
The former paramilitaries are intended to protect life and property "of more violence between supporters of the de facto government and the deposed President Manuel Zelaya," said the UN group.
"Other sources said the formation of a group of 120 people by paramilitaries in several countries of the region to support the coup in Honduras," said the five-member commission.
They added that they also received reports of the indiscriminate use of "long range acoustic devices" by the police and mercenaries against Zelaya and his followers refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa.
Artifacts can make sounds when issuing voice commands to concentrate a noise like a car alarm that can be listened to almost four kilometers (two miles) away.
"We urge the Honduran authorities to take all practical measures to avoid the use of mercenaries in their territory and to fully investigate complaints regarding their presence and activities," the group said.
In Honduras, the armed forces spokesman downplayed the information contained in Geneva.
"There are many rumors spread by the supporters of Zelaya to cause fear in the citizenry," said Colonel Ramiro Archaga The Associated Press.
"These people also have a rumor that moves troops to Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador to destabilize those countries, but that's not true ... They also say the army is recruiting Indians, peasants and all sorts of people to increase their ranks . That's not true, "he said.
However, the commissioner Orlin Cerrato, a police spokesman told a news conference that the information constitutes "a serious allegation and we are concerned because it comes from the UN."
"Our analysis and information bodies are working on this issue in coordination with the armed forces," said Cerrato.
The official said the authorities discussed the report in order to identify any threat.
"If the complaint is confirmed, all actions will be taken to counter these Colombian groups alleged to be in Honduras ... and if we find them, arrested them, seized their weapons and were submitted to the Honduran justice for the sake of preserve domestic tranquility of our nation, "he said.
UN officials stressed that Honduras is part of the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.
The group consists of Shaista Shameem of Fiji, Najat al-Hajjaji, Libya, Amada Benavides de Pérez of Colombia, José Luis Gómez del Prado of Spain and Alexander Nikitin, Russian.
Zelaya was overthrown on 28 June by a civilian coup backed by the military that paralyzed the Central American country with street protests, suspension of foreign aid, diplomatic isolation and confrontation between the deposed president and the secretary general of his own party, the de facto president Roberto Micheletti.
The crisis worsened when Zelaya returned to Serbia in late September and took refuge at the Brazilian embassy.
Governments around the world have insisted that the ousted president ends his term and return to power in time for the November elections.
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Former Colombian paramilitary presence in Honduras worries UN
Experts on UN human rights expressed concern on Friday amid reports that former paramilitaries in Colombia had been recruited to protect wealthy individuals and properties in Honduras after the military coup.
The working group of the UN on the use of mercenaries said that "information available to date" suggested that land owners have hired 40 former members of the AUC in Colombia as guards, after violence erupted in the country among the de facto government supporters and supporters of deposed President Manuel Zelaya.
They also cited reports that 120 paramilitary several neighboring countries had been brought to Honduras to support the military coup in late June, which triggered the worst crisis in years in Central America.
"We urge the Honduran authorities to take all practical steps to prevent the use of mercenaries in their territory and to fully investigate the allegations concerning their presence and activities," the five independent experts in a joint statement issued in Geneva.
Honduras signed an international convention prohibiting the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries fighting groups such as Shaista Shameem of Fiji, Najat al-Hajjaji of Libya, Amada Benavides de Perez of Colombia, José Luis Gómez del Prado of Spain and Alexander Nikitin of Russia.
The experts also raised concerns about "accusations of discrimination of acoustic far-reaching" by the police and mercenaries to harass refugees Zelaya and his followers at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa.
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