The protracted internal armed conflict in Colombia had by June 2008 displaced 2,649,139 people according to the government, and 4,361,355 people according to a reliable non-governmental source. An alarming trend of rising internal displacement has been registered since 2006, and the highest rate of displacement in 23 years was recorded in the first semester of 2008. All parties in the conflict, including guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, and state forces are responsible, to different degrees, for forced displacement and human rights violations and abuses. President Uribe’s “Democratic Security” policy has entailed a hard-handed approach against the left-wing guerrilla insurgents, and a demobilisation programme for right-wing paramilitaries. While it is clear that the guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) have been weakened, and although demobilisation of paramilitary members of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) has been formally completed, the displacement crisis and the conflict are far from over: FARC have announced an escalation of their military offensive, and paramilitary groups are as active as before the demobilisa-tion process. Further, the last year has seen an escalation in the regional ramifications of the conflict. The government’s response to the plight of internally displaced people has improved in recent years, partly because of the notable role played by the Constitutional Court. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done to prevent new displacement, protect the displaced population, and implement durable solutions through effective reparation and return policies.-from IDMC

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