The Colombian government and the largest faction, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), agreed to resume a bilateral ceasefire suspended in May. The announcement was made yesterday by representatives of the government and the armed group EMC.
The ceasefire, whose start date has not been defined, “will aim to reduce confrontation and violence,” said emissaries of Colombian President Gustavo Petro and EMC, a FARC splinter group that has refused to honor the historic peace agreement. 2016 between the government and the Marxist Guerrillas. It is estimated that almost 3,500 fighters belong to the EMC.
According to the statement, the ceasefire will be “temporary” and “national” in nature. Measures must be developed “to promote the participation of civil society in the peace process” and “to create a climate of trust”. The parties announced that negotiations would begin soon, without specifying a date or location. The process is being monitored by several unnamed countries, as well as the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the World Council of Churches.