World
After several rounds of peace talks that extended for more than three years, the Colombian government reached an agreement on a bilateral ceasefire with the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (F.A.R.C.) on Wednesday. The announcement comes a year after the F.A.R.C. rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire, which has significantly reduced violence in the country. Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos said that a final peace deal could be signed in July, ending five decades of bloody conflict that has killed some 220,000 people and displaced millions.
In a joint statement released in the Cuban capital, Havana, the two sides highlighted key areas of agreement, which include disarmament of rebels, security guarantees and fight against organized crime units, writes the BBC. The latest development eliminates the biggest roadblock in signing a final peace deal although the negotiators still need to work on implementation, verification and approval of the accord.
F.A.R.C. negotiators want the government to hold a constitutional convention for incorporating the peace deal into Colombia’s constitution, notes Al Jazeera. On the other hand, President Santos favors a referendum on the deal to “put the seal of popular approval” on peace efforts.
The Colombian conflict, which began as a rural uprising in the 1960s, intensified over the years with the joining of various leftist rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs.
