COLOMBIA: Romeo Langlois: FARC demanded his capture in a message authenticated by the Colombian authorities
May 3rd, 2012
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have sent a message announcing the capture of FRANCE 24 correspondent, has been missing since Saturday, April 28, announced the General Javier Rey, Commander the Colombian Air Force. Their message, sent to local radio, Wednesday has been authenticated by the authorities of the country.
"The Front 15 informs the public that the French journalist Romeo Langlois, military uniform, was captured in combat. It is in our hands is a prisoner of war, "said the Marxist rebels in a message that Javier Rey sent to AFP.
Following this announcement, the Colombian authorities have decided to suspend their military flights over the department of Caquetá (South), on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, " ; red zone "where Romeo Langlois disappeared. A ploy to encourage the FARC to release the journalist. "We made this decision once we have confirmation that the guerrillas held on (…) We lowered the pressure on the terrorist group that now has total freedom to RELIEVE dear journalist, "said General Javier Rey.
Langlois "slightly" wounded in the arm
In their message, the FARC have also said that Romeo Langlois was "slightly wounded in one arm and [had] received medical treatment" but that & rsquo and it would be "out of danger." A version disputed by the Colombian General. "In the rainforest, injury (…) may become infected. It should be immediately transported to a medical post, "he responded.
There is still confusion about his attire at the time of his disappearance. One detail that is important. FARC say that the journalist was wearing a military uniform of fact justifying its status as a "prisoner of war". The army claims to the contrary, he refused to wear a bulletproof vest and helmet. FRANCE 24's correspondent is "a journalist who was doing his job (…) As such, it is protected, as a civilian, by the Geneva International Convention", was de clared before the General Rey.
At his death, Romeo Langlois, 35, was reporting on drug trafficking in the region of Caqueta to FRANCE 24. The Colombian air forces patrol was accompanied Romeo Langlois was attacked on the morning of Saturday by FARC, according to military sources. The clashes have killed at least four soldiers.
Of the six people missing in the hours after the confrontation, only Romeo Langlois still is. The five soldiers who were captured along with the journalist were released into the day Sunday.
Ransom and drug trafficking
Established in 1964, the rebellion is one of the last groups of Marxist revolutionary South American continent. The splinter group has been waging for decades of kidnapping campaigns, whose ransoms, parallel to the drug trade, have become their main sources of income. Ingrid Betancourt, French-Colombian politician, was selected for more than six years by guerrillas before being released in 2008.
In recent months, the Colombian security forces have nevertheless won some victories against the rebels, mainly in the north. Weakened by the campaign by the Colombian military with the support of the United States, the FARC freed some hostages and announced they would no longer benefit from Remo movements.
If Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has seen in these initiatives a "step in the right direction," but he expressed doubts about the willingness of the FARC abandon kidnapping as a source of income or to negotiate lasting peace. An analysis confirmed by the experts who agree that the peace negotiations, even informal, will probably not any results before the 2014 elections.

