UN chief hails accord between Colombian government, rebels on peace deadline

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday welcomed an agreement reached Wednesday by the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) in Havana, Cuba, on the issue of victims.

The secretary-general "commends the parties' commitment to place victims at the center of the peace process," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

"The announcements made in Havana by the parties represent significant progress towards reaching a final peace agreement and bring Colombia even closer to ending the hemisphere's longest armed conflict," said the statement.

The longest-running armed conflict in the South American continent may soon end as the Colombian government and the FARC-EP agreed on Wednesday to a peace deal deadline.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, also known as Timoleon Jimenez or Timochenko, shook hands in Havana, the Cuban capital, where peace negotiations have been held since 2012 -- facilitated by Cuban President Raul Castro.

The two sides signed an agreement that lays out guidelines regarding how Colombia will investigate human rights abuses and punish the guerrillas held responsible for those abuses and how to compensate victims, according to a press conference held Wednesday afternoon.

"The secretary-general looks forward to welcoming President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia at the United Nations in New York and hearing his views about the way forward for the peace process," it said.

The Colombian government and the FARC-EP rebels will create specific bodies to oversee parts of the peace process, including a special commission tasked with matters related to reparations paid out to victims and a dedicated tribunal set up to extend amnesty to combatants except those who committed war crimes.

Santos promised the peace deal, which is expected to end the 51-year-long war in Colombia, will be voted on by the Colombian people in a national referendum.

Meanwhile, Ban also commended the role of guarantor countries, Cuba and Norway, as well as of Chile and Venezuela as accompanying nations in assisting this peace process, the statement said.

"The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue supporting the parties as they advance in their work toward reaching a Peace Agreement, particularly through the work of his Delegate to the sub-commission on End of Conflict," it noted.

"He also reiterates the willingness of the United Nations system to provide the support required to ensure the successful implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia for the advancement of peace, human rights and development for all its citizens," the statement said.

More than 220,000 people have died and 5 million have been internally displaced due to the Colombian conflict since the FARC's founding in 1964. The militant rebel group has been involved in drug-trafficking, kidnapping and other illicit activity to fund its insurgency campaign.

Source: XINHUA