UN chief welcomes Colombia's intention to de-escalate fighting
Xinhua, July 13, 2015 Adjust font size:
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the intention of the Colombian government and the country's largest guerrilla group to de-escalate fighting and accelerate negotiations on a peace agreement.
On Sunday, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) issued a joint statement, agreeing to de-escalate fighting as they continue to hammer out a definitive peace deal.
The FARC will begin its unilateral ceasefire from July 20, and the government, at the same time, will seek to pull back its military offensives against the FARC.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Ban also welcomed the intention of the parties to invite the United Nations to accompany discussions on end-of-conflict issues.
"The Secretary-General reiterates the willingness of the United Nations to provide all support required to ensure the successful conclusion of the negotiations and the implementation of a peace agreement in Colombia," said the statement.
The peace talks between the two sides are aimed at ending more than 50 years of conflicts in the country which has left more than 220,000 people dead and around 6 million others displaced. Endi