Colombian gov't, guerrilla group agree to de-escalate fighting

The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's largest guerrilla group, agreed to de-escalate fighting as they continue to hammer out a definitive peace deal, local media reported Sunday.

The guerrilla group will continue its unilateral cease-fire from July 20, and the government, at the same time, will seek to de-escalate its military offensives, Colombia's Caracol News network said on its website.

A joint statement by government and FARC delegations to the peace talks, dated Sunday, said the deal aims to facilitate the negotiations in Havana, Cuba, and curb the fighting in Colombia.

As part of the deal, the two sides pledged to "make every effort needed to reach the signing of a final agreement without delay."

Each side is to assess compliance with the measures in four months and both delegations will also "implement measures to build trust," it said.

The half-century conflict between the government and FARC has caused more than 220,000 deaths and around 6 million people have been displaced.

However, continued fighting was threatening to disrupt the peace talks despite FARC's announcement of cease-fire. Endi