Colombian gov't, rebels to discuss definitive peace deal
Xinhua, January 19, 2015 Adjust font size:
The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group announced willingness Sunday to strike a definitive peace deal to end a five-decade-old conflict.
In a joint statement, they announced to hold peace talks on Feb. 2-10 in Havana, Cuba, to negotiate a definitive cease-fire agreement and discuss reparations for victims of the conflict.
In the past two years, the two sides have reached at least partial agreements on several issues, including agrarian reform, participation of rebels in politics, and FARC's ties to drug trafficking, but have yet to reach a definitive peace deal.
Since peace talks began in November 2012, the rebel group has declared a unilateral cease-fire on several occasions. The latest was on Dec. 20 and is still in effect. The government has refused to make a similar move, saying military pressure is necessary.
According to official figures, some 220,000 people have been killed and as many as 5.3 million people have been displaced during the conflict. Endi