The agreements on the long-awaited truce and the participation of society in the process were reached during the third round of peace talks, which began on May 2 and concluded on June 9 in Havana, Cuba.
On June 9, the Colombian government and the leftist guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), signed a historic agreement for a six-month bilateral ceasefire. The parties also reached an agreement on the participation of civil society in developing peace negotiations, as well as in verification and monitoring mechanisms.
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| FILE PHOTO: Antonio Garcia, of the Colombian armed group National Liberation Army (ELN), left, shakes hands with Ivan Danilo Rueda, High Commissioner for Peace on behalf of the Colombian government, after signing an agreement to resume peace talks in Caracas, Venezuela [Ariana Cubillos/AP] |
The agreements on the long-awaited truce and the participation of society in the process were reached during the third round of peace talks, which began on May 2 and concluded on June 9 in Havana, Cuba.
President Gustavo Petro, who traveled to Cuba to attend the closing ceremony of the third round of talks, celebrated the agreement on the ceasefire.
The ceasefire will be applicable nationwide and will be implemented on August 3. Between June 9 and July 5, both the ELN and the government will prepare and discuss internally how the ceasefire will be implemented and how they will reach those in remote areas to spread the message about the new agreement. Both parties will give orders of cessation of offensive operations on July 6, and finally, on August 3, the ceasefire will be fully implemented.
During the six months of ceasefire, the Colombian Armed Forces and the ELN guerrillas will stop all kinds of offensive operations against each other. Additionally, the rebel group will halt any hostilities against the civilian population.
With regard to the participation of civil society, a National Participation Committee will be created that will begin functioning on July 25. It will include representatives from 30 sectors of society, who will contribute to the transformation of the country and the achievement of peace.
from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service
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