Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in his New Year’s Eve announcement, said his government has reached a six-month ceasefire agreement with the country’s five largest armed groups.
Making the truce was the main objective of the president’s “total peace” policy, which aims to end the armed conflict within the country that has continued even after the dissolution of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2017.
“We have agreed a bilateral ceasefire with the ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada from January 1 to June 30, 2023, extendable as negotiations progress,” he tweeted. Petro.
“This is a bold act. The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the State to respect it. There will be a national and international verification mechanism,” he wrote.
Groups entering the ceasefire agreement include leftist guerrilla groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN) along with dissident groups that are being operated by former members of the now demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Estado Mayor Central and Second Marquetalia.
The Colombian government, in a separate statement, stated that multiple letters were received from church, society and other community organizations calling for an end to the violence.
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The government said that a specific decree will be issued for each organization, which will specify the conditions and duration of the ceasefire. The ceasefire agreement will end on June 30, however it can be extended.
Even after the efforts made by the government to negotiate with different armed groups in Colombia, it has so far failed to contain the violence plaguing the country.
(With agency contributions)
