Colombia fighters hand over arms

By Jeremy McDermott
BBC News, Medellin

The paramilitary AUC has been demobilising its fighters

Some 550 Colombian right-wing paramilitaries have handed in their weapons as part of an ongoing peace process with the government.

The fighters of Block Calima of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) have surrendered to the government peace commissioner.

The will now enter programmes for reinsertion into civilian life.

Block Calima, based around the western city of Cali, has had a short but bloody history.

It was founded in 1998 after Marxist guerrillas kidnapped 150 worshippers from a Catholic church in the city.

The group then proceeded to attack areas where there was support for the guerrillas, and in 2001 carried out a wave of massacres.

In the worst massacre, 40 peasants were murdered and a woman was disembowelled with a chainsaw.

Cocaine routes

Security forces said the group's main function was to protect the cocaine routes of the regional drug lords who financed the paramilitary unit.

However, none of this was mentioned as the 550 fighters handed in their arms.

By the end of the year, the AUC will have demobilised 3,000 of its men.

It remains to be seen whether any of them will be brought to trial for crimes against humanity or drugs trafficking.