Despite a peace agreement in 2016, parts of Colombia remain under rebel control. Now there is an agreement between one of the guerrilla groups and the government of the South American country.
After months of negotiations, the Colombian government and a splinter group of the former guerrilla organization FARC have agreed on a three-month ceasefire.
The armed forces, police and rebels want to refrain from offensive operations against each other until mid-January, representatives of the government and the Farc dissident group Estado Mayor Central said at a meeting in the town of Tibú near the border with Venezuela. Representatives from the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the Colombian Bishops’ Conference are expected to monitor the ceasefire.
Drug trafficking, illegal mining, protection rackets
After the peace agreement between Colombia and the left-wing FARC in 2016, the Estado Mayor Central split off from what was then the country’s largest rebel group and remained underground. Today the organization is primarily a criminal group involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining and protection rackets.
Colombia suffered 52 years of civil war between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the military. 220,000 people died and millions were displaced. Although the security situation has improved following the peace agreement between the government and the FARC, parts of the South American country are still controlled by illegal groups. Peace talks are currently underway with the guerrilla organization ELN. President Gustavo Petro has also invited other criminal gangs, rebels and paramilitaries to negotiate.
Source: Stern
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