Colombian armed groups killed more than 4,000 noncombatants...

Colombian armed groups killed more than 4,000 noncombatants in 2001 and kidnapped 1,700 others, according to Amnesty International's (AI) annual report.
Most of the summary executions and "disappearances" recorded in the country in 2001 were the work of paramilitaries who enjoyed the active or tacit support of security forces, the non-governmental organization charged.
In 2001 the close ties between security forces and paramilitaries came to light, and though some criminal and disciplinary investigations made progress, impunity continued to be the norm, according to AI. The country's civil war became increasingly fierce, with hundreds of massacres recorded around the country, most perpetrated by paramilitaries with army support.
The conflict also forced more than 300,000 civilians to flee their homes.