adminBOGOTA. — The Colombian government reached a major de-escalation agreement Sunday with leftist FARC guerrillas, agreeing for the first time to reduce anti-rebel operations in the decades-long armed conflict, diplomats in Havana said.
The move marks a significant step in stop-start peace talks in the Cuban capital between the two sides that began in November 2012 but have been hampered in recent months by an uptick in violence.
Last Wednesday, FARC said it had agreed to a one-month unilateral ceasefire starting July 20, and on Sunday the government committed to curtailing its efforts against guerrillas for the first time since peace talks began. “The national government, from July 20, will launch a process of de-escalation of military action, in response to the suspension of offensive actions by the FARC,” said a joint statement read by Cuban and Norwegian diplomats, who have been mediating the talks.
Both sides hailed the reset of the talks. “This is undoubtedly a strong, promising, and hopeful re-launch of the dialogue process,” said chief FARC negotiator Ivan Marquez.
His government counterpart, Humberto de la Calle said the agreement shows “the opportunity to end the conflict is alive.” — AFP.
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