FARC Unilateral Cease-Fire to Last Four Months

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The FARC and the Colombian government agreed to ease hostilities in order to bolster support for the ongoing peace process. As part of efforts to de-escalate the armed conflict, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia will respect a unilateral cease-fire for a four month period, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed Wednesday in an interview with local media. 

The guerrilla group, known as the FARC, announced in early July that they would reinstate its unilateral cease-fire, originally for a one month period. A few days after the FARC's announcement, the government and the rebels formally agreed to work toward easing the armed conflict. That document signed by the two parties did not specify the length of the unilateral cease-fire, the AFP news agency said it was unable to confirm with FARC spokespeople the cease-fire would indeed last four months. 

However, the Colombian government had said that it would use this four-month period to evaluate the progress of the peace talks with the rebel group, talks have been ongoing since 2012. “Depending on whether the FARC fulfill the agreement or not, I will take the decision of continuing or not this process,” Santos said earlier this month. Support for the peace process has been dwindling after a spike in violence between the FARC and the Colombian government. 

The FARC were forced to suspend an earlier unilateral cease-fire after a government massacre left 26 rebels dead. Colombia's lead government negotiator in the peace talks said the goal of the de-escalation of the conflict is to build trust and help accelerate the progress of talks. 

 The FARC's unilateral cease-fire is set to begin on July 20. Although the agreement between the rebels and the government is not a cease-fire, Colombian Senator Ivan Cepeda, a strong proponent of the peace process, said that for all intents and purposes the agreement constitutes a bilateral cease-fire. Sunday's agreement also stated that both parties intend to strengthen efforts on their part to reach a final agreement and in particular work to reach a formal bilateral cease-fire. 

To that end the FARC and the Colombian government have invited a delegate from the U.N. and the Union of South American Nations to begin discussions on the process for the monitoring of a bilateral cease-fire.

Source http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/FARC-Unilateral-Cease-Fire-to-Last-Four-Months-20150716-0020.html

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