Colombian government, FARC rebel group reach historic peace deal
The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group have announced their agreement on a historic peace deal aimed at ending their half-century-long conflict.
"The Colombian government and the FARC announce that we have reached a final, full and definitive accord... on the end of the conflict and the building of a stable and enduring peace in Colombia," said a joint statement read out in the Cuban capital Havana, where both sides have been engaged in peace talks for almost four years.
The deal still has to be ratified in a plebiscite for it to become official.
Under the deal, the Colombian government is obligated to engage in an aggressive land reform, to overhaul its anti-narcotics policies and to expend that into underdeveloped regions in the country.
In turn, FARC will start to withdraw its troops from their jungle and mountain hideouts and relocate them into UN disarmament camps.
"We have fortunately managed to reach a safe harbor," said FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez, aka Timochenko, before the announcement.
The peace accord was reached following a bilateral ceasefire reached in June.
FARC is the largest rebel group in Colombia and has an estimated 7,000 fighters. It has been at war with the government in Bogota since the guerrilla movement rose to prominence in 1964.
So far, more than 220,000 people have been killed in clashes between the two sides and 6.6 million others have been displaced. Moreover, a further 45,000 people are said to be missing.
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