“The United Nations supports all efforts aimed at reducing violence in the areas, protecting communities affected by the conflict and building peace in Colombia,” said UN Verification Mission head Carlos Ruíz Massieu.
The United Nations (UN) Organization today welcomed the announcement of a bilateral ceasefire by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
“The United Nations supports all efforts aimed at reducing violence in the areas, protecting communities affected by the conflict and building peace in Colombia,” said UN Verification Mission head Carlos Ruíz Massieu.
In response to the request of the communities in the areas most at risk of violence, Petro announced the start of a bilateral ceasefire from this Sunday, January 1st, to June 30th, 2023 with five illegal armed organizations.
The National Liberation Army, Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the Colombian Self-Defense Forces Gaitanista and the Sierra Nevada Group are the structures holding this position.
The hiring will have as its main objective to suspend the humanitarian impact on the population in general and in particular of the ethno-territorial and peasant communities and the nation, suspending offensive actions and avoiding armed incidents between the public power and organizations outside the said law.
“We have agreed with the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC and the Sierra Nevada Self-Defense Forces a bilateral halt from January 1 to June 30, 2023, which may be extended depending on the progress of the negotiations. ” wrote Petro in a tweet. “Total peace is becoming a reality,” promised the President.
“It’s a brave act. The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the state to comply with it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism“, added the President in another post.
On December 24, Petro announced that the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Central Staff of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the Second Marquetalia, and the Sierra Nevada and Bonaventure armed groups had been launched unilateral ceasefire.
Subsequently, Pacific Segunda’s guerrilla coordinator assured Marquetalia that this was the case open to dialogue with the Petro government for the “total peace agreement” sought by the left-wing president.
(With information from Prensa Latina)
See also:
The Colombian government and the ELN complete the first cycle of the peace dialogue