UN recommends FARC guerrillas and Colombian gov't strike truce

The United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia, Todd Howland, suggested Tuesday the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government establish a truce in order to mitigate the recent escalation of the conflict.

"There are mechanisms available that can be used to lower the tension and one of them is a truce, that can be for two weeks or for a month. It would enable progress at the negotiation table without reaching a bilateral ceasefire, that is more complicated at this time because it involves agreements on how the ceasefire will be monitored," Howland told local media.

Howland said that since the FARC suspended the unilateral ceasefire, there have been violent acts that not only affect members of the security forces, but violate the human rights of civilians.

The UN official also called on the FARC leaders to be aware of the need to make serious progress on the issue of transitional justice.

"None of you, nor I, want to go to jail, but it is important that there is a serious process due to taking responsibility for past violations, and this is a society that includes the FARC," he said.

The Colombian government and the FARC have initiated the peace process that seeks to end the internal 60-year-long armed conflict over two and a half years ago. Endi