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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: August 9, 2006 |
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Colombia is sending a plane to evacuate more than 100 of its citizens fleeing the fighting in Lebanon, a senator helping to organize the mission said Tuesday.
The news comes as a group of Colombian legislators of Middle Eastern descent demanded that the government step up calls for a cease-fire to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
"We're going to get more than 100 Colombians in the war there and bring them directly to Colombia," said Sen. Jairo Clopatofsky. "We received the help of the air force, a Hercules (plane) will leave Wednesday."
The plane will fly to the Syrian capital of Damascus, where it will pick up Colombians expected to travel there overland from Lebanon. The mission will also deliver some 660 pounds of medicine which will be transported to Lebanon.
Colombia's foreign ministry estimates there were about 2,000 citizens in Lebanon -- all of whom also possessed Lebanese nationality -- before the war began. The government believes all but 200 left the country following weeks of bombing.
A group of 37 Colombian legislators of Lebanese and Arab descent have put forward a motion in the senate demanding that the government seek a solution to the conflict.
The proposal by the Association of Colombo-Arab Parliamentarians said "we call on the national government to demand from the United Nations and its Security Council that it absolutely and immediately meet its obligations ... regarding the laws of war and stop the attacks against civilians and their property."
Like other South American countries, Colombia has received waves of immigrants from Syria and Lebanon throughout its history. Among the immigrants' descendants are singer Shakira and former President Julio Cesar Turbay. |
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