The victory was announced on January 1 by the South American country’s first leftist leader, Gustavo Petro, who tweeted that he was looking for “total peace”, in light of the continued violence, following the peace agreement of the UN supported history with the Leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016.
That agreement ended decades of conflict with the FARC, but not with other rebel groups, who failed to reach a peace deal.
President Petro said that the peace agreement between the two, with the ELN rebels, the Second Marquetalia, the General Staff of the Central, the AGC group and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada, will work for six months, until the end of this May, with the possibility has expanded it “based on progress”.
He said there would be a “national and international verification system” to monitor and verify the new termination agreement.
Building trust
“The Secretary-General is confident that adherence to these agreements will reduce the violence and suffering of conflict-affected communities,” said António Guterres in a statement, “while helping to build confidence in the discussions of ongoing.”
The Secretary General also reiterated “the support of the United Nations to Colombia’s efforts to achieve complete and complete peace.”
President Petro – a former rebel fighter himself who has been in democratic politics since the early 1990s – was elected president last June, pledging to start negotiations to make a comprehensive peace deal a reality.
President Gustavo Petro Urrego of Colombia addresses the general debate of the 77th UN General Assembly.
‘There is no better choice’
The head of the UN Mission in Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, told the Security Council in October that hopes are running high that progress can be made.
“Of course I am confident that Colombia can show the world, once again, that there is no better alternative to ending conflicts than through dialogue,” he told the delegation.
It also welcomes the Government’s commitment to develop the Framework for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition, and its support for an established process for investigating missing persons.
Despite the formation of the FARC fighters and the entry into democratic politics in 2017, news reports suggest around 10,000 fighters from other armed groups, have continued to be locked in the remaining disputes. , destroying the whole country.
The ELN, which is leading the last known rebellion in the country, has, according to reports, been negotiating with the Government since November. It announced a short-term quarterly settlement in mid-December.
In a tweet on Sunday, Mr. Massieu welcomed the announcement of President Petro, saying that the UN supports “all efforts” to reduce violence, that will protect vulnerable communities still affected by the conflict, and help build lasting peace.
