The United Nations refugee agency today strongly condemned the brutal murders of eight people, including three children, in northwestern Colombia, the latest in a string of attacks against people who had been displaced by the decades-long conflict between left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries and Government forces.

Officials from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are scheduled to travel tomorrow to San José de Apartadó to meet with community members and military authorities, and the agency called on the authorities to prosecute those responsible for “these deplorable crimes” and ensure the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout Colombia who are at risk of violence, threats and intimidation.