March 6, 2008 Organisation of
American States Approves Ecuador-Colombia Row Resolution
Washington
The Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS)
has given unanimous approval to a resolution accepted by both
Ecuador and Colombia, which are at odds over a cross-border raid by
Colombian forces.
The draft resolution was agreed after "14 hours of intense
negotiations", said Aristides Royo, Panama's envoy to the OAS who
heads the working group, Spain's EFE news agency reported Thursday.
The resolution says that Bogota violated Ecuador's sovereignty and
territorial integrity through last weekend's operation against the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, killing the
guerrilla group's second-in-command Raul Reyes and 20 other rebels.
OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza called the document "an
exhibition of peace and understanding".
Ecuador's Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador and Colombian
Ambassador to the OAS Camilo Ospina also said they were satisfied
with the consensus, which was received by representatives of the 34
member nations with applause.
"The resolution reaffirms the principle that the territory of a
state is inviolable and cannot be the object of military occupation
or other measures of force taken by another state, direct or
indirect, whatever the motive might be, even in a temporary manner,"
Salvador said.
The resolution also establishes the creation of a commission headed
by Insulza and formed by four ambassadors designated by him that
will visit both countries and the attack site. The team will also
consult foreign ministers of both the countries on the matter and
propose formulas of rapprochement between both parties.
The draft calls for a meeting of OAS foreign ministers March 17 at
OAS headquarters in Washington.
"Today the OAS has passed a historic test, which ratifies its raison
d'etre, since it is an organisation called upon to monitor the
maintenance of hemispheric peace and security," said Salvador.
Following the Saturday bombings, Colombian ground troops entered
Ecuador to recover Reyes' dead body and the rebels' computers, among
other things.
Ecuador and Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Colombia and
sent extra troops to their borders with that country. Venezuela also
closed the border to trade.
FARC, founded in 1964, is the oldest and largest rebel group in
Colombia, with some 10,000 fighters. It has been fighting the
Colombian state for over 40 years.
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