UN chief welcomes agreement between Colombian government , FARC

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday welcomed the land reform agreement by the Colombian government and the country's armed rebel group, calling it "a significant achievement." Ban wished both sides further success in their efforts to reach agreements on the remaining issues and to put an end to Colombia's long-running conflict, said a statement issued here by his spokesman. Representatives of the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have reached an agreement on agrarian reform earlier Sunday. The peace talks between the government and the FARC started in mid-October in Oslo, and moved to Havana in mid-November 2012, in a bid to end the long-running civil war. Other issues on the agenda include disarmament, compensations for victims in the five decades of fighting and drug trafficking, a trade the rebels have traditionally taxed to raise funds for their movement.