Colombian president says gov't, rebel to discuss final ceasefire
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, August 18, 2014
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Sunday that a committee of senior military officials and members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will discuss a final ceasefire and surrender of arms by the insurgents.
"At some point, given the conditions, yes (to the bilateral ceasefire). And I can tell now that this committee, created by officers at the highest level, will be installed on Friday," Santos said in an interview published on Sunday in El Tiempo daily.
On the other hand, Santos said that if FARC continues its offensive against oil infrastructure, it could jeopardize the peace talks ongoing in Havana, Cuba.
Last week, FARC leader Rodrigo Londono ruled out the possibility of reaching a peace agreement with the Colombian government by this year, at a time when the president has criticized the rebel group for dragging its heels.
"We must accelerate, because the sooner we reach the end of the conflict, the more lives we will save," Santos added.
A delegation of victims of the internal armed conflict met in Havana with FARC representatives, who offered their apologies, in a development highlighted even by the United Nations.
The Colombian government and FARC, the largest leftist anti-government insurgency in the country, started a peace process in December 2012 in Cuba.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)