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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 21 January 2025
At least 80 people killed in northeast Colombia as peace talks fail,

official says

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) to demobilize.
— More than 80 people “The priority is to save lives
were killed in the country’s and guarantee the security
northeast over the week- of communities,” he said.
end following the govern- “We have deployed our
ment’s failed attempts to troops throughout the en-
hold peace talks with the tire region.”
National Liberation Army, a Officials also prepared to
Colombian official said. send 10 tons of food and
Twenty others were injured hygiene kits for approxi-
in the violence that has mately 5,000 people in the
forced thousands to flee communities of Ocaña and
as Colombia’s army scram- Tibú, the majority of them
bled to evacuate people having fled the violence.
on Sunday, according to “Catatumbo needs help,”
William Villamizar, governor Villamizar said in a pub-
of North Santander, where lic address on Saturday.
many of the killings took “Boys, girls, young people,
place. Among the victims teenagers, entire families
are community leader Car- are showing up with noth-
melo Guerrero and seven ing, riding trucks, dump
people who sought to sign trucks, motorcycles, what-
a peace deal, according ever they can, on foot, to
to a report that a govern- People displaced by violence in towns across the Catatumbo region, where rebels of the National avoid being victims of this
ment ombudsman agency Liberation Army, or ELN, have been clashing with former members of the Revolutionary Armed confrontation.”
released late Saturday. Forces of Colombia, take shelter at a soccer stadium in Cúcuta, Colombia, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. The attack comes after Co-
Officials said the attacks Associated Press lombia suspended peace
happened in several towns talks with the National Lib-
located in the Catatumbo mountains or seeking help had no time to grab our against the animal’s chest eration Army, or ELN, on Fri-
region near the border with at government shelters. things. ... I hope the gov- to keep it cool as they day, the second time it has
Venezuela, with at least “We were caught in the ernment remembers us. We evacuated by helicopter. done so in less than a year.
three people who were crossfire,” said Juan Gutiér- are helpless here.” Defense Minister Iván Ve- Colombia’s government
part of the peace talks be- rez, who fled with his fam- Colombia’s army rescued lásquez traveled to the has demanded that the
ing kidnapped. ily to a temporary shelter in dozens of people on Sun- northeast town of Cúcuta ELN cease all attacks and
Thousands of people are Tibú after they were forced day, including a family and on Sunday where he held allow authorities to enter
fleeing the area, with some to leave behind their ani- their pet dog, whose owner several security meetings the region and provide hu-
hiding in the nearby lush mals and belongings. “We held a pack of cold water and urged armed groups manitarian aid.q

Wake up and spend more on defense, Macron tells Europe as

Trump takes office

By SYLVIE CORBET ally withdraws its warships support to Ukraine is key so to Ukraine is fraught with drag European countries
Associated Press from the Mediterranean? that Kyiv is in a strong posi- risk. Such a move may not into a direct confrontation
CESSON-SEVIGNE, France If they send their fighter jets tion when engaging in any deter Russia from attacking with Moscow. That, in turn,
(AP) — French President from the Atlantic to the Pa- future peace negotiations. Ukraine again in the future, could pull NATO including
Emmanuel Macron called cific?” he asked. Ukraine must receive “guar- which is the fear of Ukrai- the United States into a
on Europe Monday to Trump has criticized the antees” against any return nian officials, and could conflict.q
“wake up” and spend cost of the war in Ukraine of the war on its territory
more on defense in order for U.S. taxpayers through when hostilities cease and
to reduce its reliance on major military aid packag- Europe must take “play its
the United States for its se- es and has made it clear full role” in the process, he
curity, in a speech to the that he wants to shift more said.
French military as Donald of the fiscal burden onto Last week, Ukraine’s Presi-
Trump returns to power. Europe. He has vowed to dent Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Macron referred to ex- bring the conflict to a swift said he discussed with Ma-
pected changes in Wash- end, voicing hope that cron about the possibility of
ington’s foreign policy, es- peace could be negoti- Western troops deploying
pecially regarding the war ated in six months. in Ukraine to safeguard any
in Ukraine, saying it was an France and Europe need peace deal ending the
“opportunity for a Europe- to adapt to evolving nearly three-year war with
an strategic wake-up call,” threats and changing in- Russia.
in his New Year’s speech terests, Macron said. “Who “As one of these guar-
to the military at the Army would have thought a year antees, we discussed the
Digital and Cyber Support ago that Greenland would French initiative to de- French President Emmanuel Macron reviews the troops during a
military ceremony during a visit at the Digital Support and Cyber
Command based in west- be at the center of politi- ploy military contingents in Command (CATNC) of the French Army as part of his New
ern France. cal and strategic debates? Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. Year address to the Armed Forces, in Cesson-Sevigne, western
“What will we do in Europe That’s the way it is.” Potentially sending Europe- France, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.
tomorrow if our American He said providing lasting an troops as peacekeepers Associated Press