A/HRC/4/48 page 17 76. The FARC-EP, and to a lesser extent the ELN and the People’s Liberation Army (EPL), persisted in taking hostages, particularly in Antioquia, Arauca, Chocó, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo and Caldas, and continued to keep a very large number of people in captivity. 77. The FARC-EP continued to flout the obligation to accord the treatment prescribed by IHL to persons deprived of their freedom for reasons relating to the conflict, such as military and police personnel who have been held captive for several years. In 2006, a National Police captain died in captivity, having been taken hostage by the FARC-EP in Mitú in 1998. His body has not been handed over to his family by the guerrillas. 78. There were reports of acts of sexual violence attributed to members of the FARC-EP in Arauca, Cauca and Nariño, and to members of the ELN in Norte de Santander and Valle. 79. Forced displacements were reported in Antioquia, Arauca, Chocó, Nariño and Putumayo, resulting from threats and acts of violence attributed to the FARC-EP and ELN, clashes between these two groups, fighting between guerrillas and paramilitaries, and armed clashes between the security forces and subversive groups. 80. The FARC-EP and the ELN persisted in the practice of planting anti-personnel mines. The OHCHR Office recorded such cases, inter alia, in Putumayo, Arauca, Cauca, Caldas, Antioquia, Magdalena and Nariño; they affected numerous civilians, particularly peasants, children, and older and indigenous people. In this context, it is to be hoped that the ELN will as soon as possible fulfil its declared intention of demining several villages in Samaniego (Nariño). 81. The FARC-EP, the ELN and the EPL continued their practice of recruiting children, particularly in Arauca, Putumayo, Guaviare, Meta, Antioquia, Cauca, Valle and Risaralda. In July, the media published a report by the Attorney-General’s Office on abuses committed by members of the FARC-EP against young girls in their ranks, such as forced abortions, sexual violence, threats, and cruel and degrading treatment.14 82. There were reports of attacks by the FARC-EP in Putumayo and Chocó against members of medical teams and health units. 83. The armed strike declared by the FARC-EP during the first months of 2006 particularly affected the departments of Guaviare, Arauca, Meta, Caquetá, Chocó and Putumayo, isolating large numbers of people and preventing the civilian population from travelling freely by land or river. This situation caused a humanitarian crisis due to the lack of food, transportation and communication. People who did not obey the armed strike order were under constant threat of death, which in some cases became a reality, as in the massacre of nine people travelling on a bus in Caquetá. 14 Semana magazine, “Infamia”, 2 July 2006.