BOGOTA, Colombia: A Colombian court on January 19 sentenced a former paramilitary leader to 40 years in prison for crimes committed against Indigenous communities in the province of La Guajira.

Salvatore Mancuso's crimes included homicides, forced disappearances, and the displacement of people from 2002 to 2006.

The special tribunal ruled that Mancuso was responsible for 117 crimes committed by fighters under his command in La Guajira. Mancuso could reduce his sentence to eight years if he participates in truth and reparation efforts that benefit the victims of his former paramilitary organization.

Colombia has had an internal conflict for many years, which has led the government to hold several peace talks with rebel and armed groups. One major agreement was signed in 2016 with the largest rebel group, FARC.

Mancuso, who is 61, was sent back to Colombia in 2024 after spending many years in prison in the United States for drug crimes. He is a former paramilitary leader and also an Italian citizen. After finishing his U.S. sentence, he repeatedly asked to be sent to Italy, but those requests were denied. He had been sent to the U.S. in 2008.

In the late 1990s, Mancuso was among the leaders of the AUC, a group formed to protect landowners from attacks by left-wing rebels such as the FARC.

A government report in 2022 said that at least 450,000 people were killed in the conflict between 1985 and 2018, including civilians, rebels, soldiers, and paramilitary members.

The AUC pushed rebels out of some rural areas, but it was accused of killing many innocent villagers.

The AUC began disarming in 2003 following an agreement with the government that reduced prison sentences for its leaders. However, new right-wing armed groups later took their place, including the Gulf Clan, which has about 10,000 fighters and is still active.

Mancuso was released from U.S. prison in February 2024 and sent to Colombia, where he stayed in custody for several months. He was released in July after courts said there were no remaining prison sentences against him.

After returning to Colombia, President Gustavo Petro named Mancuso a "peace facilitator," allowing him to help with talks between the government and armed groups.

The government is now in peace talks with the Gulf Clan. In December, both sides signed an agreement in Qatar that allows the group's fighters to remain in designated camps and avoid arrest while the talks continue.