The breakthrough was announced Jan. 1 by the South American nation’s first-ever left-leaning President Gustavo Petro, who tweeted that he was seeking historic “total peace” amid ongoing violence UN-backed peace agreement with the leadership of the militant group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016.
This pact ended decades of conflict with the FARC, but did not include other dissenting factions unable to demobilize as a result of the peace deal.
President Petro said the bilateral ceasefire agreement, including the ELN rebels, the Second Marquetalia, the Central Joint Chiefs of Staff, the AGC group and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces, would be in effect for six months until the end of June this year, with the possibility of it “ever.” according to progress”.
He said there will be a “national and international review mechanism” to monitor and ensure the new ceasefire agreement.
build up trust
“The Secretary-General is confident that honoring these commitments will reduce the violence and suffering of conflict-affected communities,” the statement read Antonio Guterres“And help build trust in ongoing dialogues.”
The Secretary-General also reaffirmed “the United Nations’ support for Colombia’s efforts to bring about a complete and lasting peace.”
President Petro – a former rebel fighter who has been involved in democratic politics himself since the early 1990s – was elected president last June and vowed to start negotiations to make the comprehensive peace deal a reality.
President Gustavo Petro Urrego of Colombia speaks at the general debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.
“No better alternative”
The head of UN verification mission in ColombiaCarlos Ruiz Massieu, said the Security Council in October that expectations were high that progress could be made.
“I am certainly confident that Colombia can once again show the world that there is no better alternative to ending conflicts than dialogue,” he told the ambassadors.
He also welcomed the government’s commitment to strengthen the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Recurrence and its support for the mechanism established to investigate missing persons.
Despite the demobilization of FARC fighters and entry into democratic politics in 2017, news reports suggest around 10,000 militants from other armed groups remain engaged in deadly clashes, destabilizing the entire country.
The ELN, which is reportedly leading the country’s last recognized insurgency, has been negotiating with the government since November. It announced a short-term unilateral ceasefire in mid-December.
In a tweet on Sunday, Mr Massieu welcomed President Petro’s announcement and said the UN supports “all efforts” to reduce violence that would protect vulnerable communities still affected by conflict and help build a lasting peace .
