International

Armed group intercepts humanitarian caravan in Colombia

Photo: @CICR_co

September 26 |

A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Ombudsman’s Office and the Church was intercepted in a rural area of Arauca by armed men who presented themselves as alleged members of the ELN to rescue eight of their own who had previously been kidnapped by FARC dissidents after a confrontation on Sunday.

The humanitarian mission had planned to transfer on Monday the eight freed by FARC dissidents, who had been deprived of their freedom after a previous armed confrontation.After the frustrated transfer, the eight released returned to the ELN, their group of origin.

This situation was rejected by the Ombudsman, Carlos Camargo, who expressed his concern at the lack of respect by the armed groups for the humanitarian missions in the territories they currently control.

“As Ombudsman I see with absolute concern the degradation that the armed conflict in Colombia is suffering, particularly with what happened in Arauca to a humanitarian mission led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in which the Ombudsman’s Office, the Catholic Church, the Mission to Support the Peace Process of the OAS (MAPP-OAS), the UN Verification Mission and the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace participated”, stated Camargo.

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For Camargo, this act was a violation of the ceasefire with the government, so both the Ombudsman’s Office and the Red Cross rejected the operation of these subjects.

“We regret that a humanitarian mission aimed at rescuing people who were being held by FARC dissidents, and who were handed over to a team headed by the ICRC, was intercepted by armed men who identified themselves as members of the ELN and took the people who had been rescued, under the argument that they belonged to their troops,” argued the Colombian Ombudsman.

Although no member of the mission that was intercepted was injured by the ELN, the International Committee of the Red Cross called for their humanitarian actions to be respected as “failure to do so will have a direct impact on communities affected by armed conflict”.

“It is paramount that armed actors allow impartial humanitarian organizations access to all territories so that they can alleviate the suffering of those who do not or no longer participate in the hostilities,” the Red Cross said.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”