Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc): Ceasefire signed to end five decades of war
The Colombian
government and the Farc rebels have signed a historic ceasefire deal, bringing
them closer to ending more than five decades of conflict.
The announcement is
seen as one of the last steps before a full peace deal is signed, which is
expected within weeks. Colombia's president
and the Farc leader shook hands in celebration. The longest-running
insurgency in the Western Hemisphere left an estimated 220,000 people dead and
almost seven million displaced. The announcement in
Havana caps formal peace talks that started three years ago in the Cuban
capital.
- Timeline of
the conflict
- Guerrilla
leader who talks peace
- Colombia
guerrillas prepare finally for peace
The Farc in the 21st
Century is a strange beast. Gone is the bipolar
vision of the Cold War, and gone too are most of the group's original
intellectual architects, many killed in combat. Today, somewhat
anchorless, the rebels continue to go through motions of an armed insurgency
but they know a new future is beckoning. They remain primed for
war - machine guns by their beds, handguns under their pillows, all night
lookouts keeping watch for an enemy that no longer seems to be searching for
them. Read more
But it does not mark
the start of the ceasefire, which will only begin with the signing of a final
accord. Colombia's President,
Juan Manuel Santos, has previously said he hopes to sign that accord by the end
of July. Thursday's
announcement includes:
- A commitment that rebels will lay down
arms within 180 days of a final peace deal
- The creation of temporary transition zones
and camps for the estimated 7,000 rebels
- A provision that no civilians will be
allowed to enter Farc camps, to guarantee rebel security
- A provision that UN monitors will receive all the group's weapons
The announcement of
the Farc ceasefire dominated the headlines of the online editions of the main
Colombian newspapers and other media outlets. Centre-left newspaper
El Espectador featured extensive coverage of the news of the agreement and a
banner headline, which reads: "The guns went silent" along a striking
image of two guerrilla fighters in action. It also covered the key points of
the deal as well as the history of the conflict.
Conservative newspaper
El Tiempo emphasised President Juan Manuel Santos's statement that the final
agreement would be signed in Colombia, not Cuba. Medellin-based
newspaper El Colombiano featured a commentary by former President Alvaro Uribe,
who remains sceptical about the prospects for peace, saying "the word
peace is wounded." One of the main
national radio networks RCN ran a story citing Farc leader Timochenko saying:
"We are going to do politics without arms."
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