Google - AFP, Francisco Jara (AFP), 19 November 2012
 |
Colombian
members of FARC-EP leftist guerrillas delegation, commanders
Ivan Marquez (C)
and Rodrigo Granda (L) (AFP, Adalberto Roque)
|
HAVANA —
Colombia's leftist FARC rebels on Monday declared a unilateral two-month
ceasefire as they began talks in Cuba with the Bogota government on ending
Latin America's longest-running insurgency.
The two
sides were in Havana to resume negotiations formally launched last month in
Norway, and both expressed confidence that an end to the decades-long conflict
that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives is within reach.
The talks
represent the first attempt at a negotiated peace in 10 years.
"The
leadership has ordered that all military operations against government forces
come to a halt," the head of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) delegation, Ivan Marquez, said upon arrival at the talks venue.
 |
Ruben
Zamora stands behind a life-size
a poster of FARC leader Simon
Trinidad (AFP,
Adalberto Roque)
|
Marquez
said the ceasefire, which would take effect at midnight (0500 GMT) Tuesday and
last through January 20, was "another example of our desire to create a
political environment conducive to the progress of the talks."
He added
that the rebel move was a "solid contribution to strengthening the climate
of understanding needed for the parties starting talks to reach the result
desired by all Colombians."
Negotiators
for the government of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos made no statement
as they arrived at the convention center in the Cuban capital. Reporters were
not allowed inside the venue as the talks began.
Both Santos
and chief government negotiator Humberto de la Calle have repeatedly said that
government forces will maintain counter-insurgency operations during the peace
talks with the FARC.
De la
Calle, a former Colombian vice president, has nevertheless said he believes
this is "the defining moment" to reach a peace deal with the FARC, as
both sides have agreed talks "must end with a final agreement on the
conflict."
Before
leaving Bogota, he said this round of talks would likely last about 10 days, at
which time a start date for the next round would be agreed.
The Santos
administration wants to build "a stable peace," he told reporters as
he boarded a plane for Havana Sunday, adding that "the FARC would be
turned into a legal political party."
Negotiations
to reach a final deal will likely last "months, not years," de la
Calle said.
The FARC --
Latin America's largest rebel group, founded in 1964 and believed to have some
9,200 armed fighters -- took up arms almost 50 years ago to protest the
concentration of land ownership in Colombia.
Little has
changed over the years, as more than half of the country's largest properties
are controlled by one percent of the population, according to a 2011 UN report.
There are
however signs that the guerrillas may be ready for a truce after a long string
of setbacks.
Several top
commanders have been captured or killed in recent years as the group has
suffered a string of military defeats and its ranks have dropped to half the
number of fighters compared to the FARC's 1990s peak.
The
negotiations, which began on Monday, had initially been scheduled to start on
November 15 but were delayed to clarify the role of civilian representatives.
The talks,
the fourth attempt at peace between the government and the FARC, will focus on
a five-point agenda that includes the thorny issue of rural development.
Both sides
must also agree on a mechanism to end hostilities, incorporate the rebels in
political life, curb drug trafficking, and compensate victims of abuses
committed by guerrillas and government troops.
According
to the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of people have died and four
million have been driven from their homes in the conflict, which also involves
a smaller guerrilla army and right-wing paramilitary groups.
Related Article:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.