Colombia: Former FARC splinter group agrees to 'unilateral ceasefire'
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Segunda Marquetalia, a splinter of the former FARC guerrilla group, has agreed to a "unilateral ceasefire" and to release their captives following negotiations with the Colombian government.
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Peace talks start between the armed Colombian group "Segunda Marquetalia - EB" and the Colombian government in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP)
Segunda Marquetalia, a splinter of the former FARC guerrilla group, has agreed, in a joint statement, released on Saturday, to a "unilateral ceasefire" and to release their captives following negotiations with the government.
The negotiations in Caracas, Venezuela, are the third initiated by Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro, who faces many challenges in resolving a six-decade conflict involving FARC groups.
The delegations agreed to a "unilateral ceasefire by the Second Marquetalia-EB (Ejercito Bolivariano, or Bolivarian Army)" and committed to releasing their captives, as stated in a document signed by chief government negotiator Armando Novoa and rebel representative Walter Mendoza.
While the agreement's start date was not specified, the agreement noted that "the full implementation of de-escalation will begin as soon as the presidential decree on offensive military operations comes into force."
In addition, the released statement asserted the national security forces' "constitutional and legal powers" and said that the "unilateral ceasefire does not restrict these government powers. It also stated that the Segunda Marquetalia have agreed to "not to remain armed or in uniform" in urban centers or "land and river routes."
To define the timetable for identifying social and economic projects and put forward a "de-escalation" agreement, a meeting bringing together the two parties is set to be held "no later than July 20" in Tumaco, western Colombia's Narino state.
ELN lifts kidnapping suspension amid stalled peace process
Earlier last month, in May, the National Liberation Army (ELN), a leftist rebel group in Colombia, announced that it would lift its suspension on kidnapping, citing the Colombian government's failure to fulfill agreements made during peace negotiations.
The group stated that its decision was prompted by delays in establishing a multi-donor fund to support the peace process aimed at ending Colombia's decades-long armed conflict.
"So far, the fund hasn't been established, and the government shows little will to advance in this field," the ELN said in a statement, adding, "Given the above, the ELN terminates its offer to unilaterally suspend economic detentions."
In turn, the government's peace delegation said in a statement of its own that "We hope the ELN keeps its commitment to Colombian society and the international community to put an end to any form of kidnapping."
Read more: Colombia partially suspends ceasefire with armed faction EMC
