Colombia - Peace of arms with the ELN guerrilla

The ELN guerrillas in Colombia are now also participating in the peace process. After the peace agreement between the government and the FARC, negotiations with the ELN are also progressing.

On Monday, 04.09.2017 a four-month peace of arms was announced in the Ecuadorian capital Quito. The occasion is the visit of Pope Francis to the South American country, which begins on September 6.

At the end of the third round of talks, both parties signed an agreement which states, among other things: "With the aim of making humanitarian actions concrete, the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have agreed on a temporary bilateral peace of arms that will reduce the intensity of the armed conflict. This will initially last four months, begin on October 1 and expire on January 12, 2018. The guerrillas undertake to stop kidnapping, attacks on pipelines and attacks against civilians.

The peace of arms will be monitored and monitored by a body composed of representatives of the government, the ELN, the United Nations and the Catholic Church, and any violations will be reported immediately. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos announced that it could be extended if the negotiations on the remaining points continue and the ELN abides by the agreement

Sources:
- Amerika21.de (05.09.2017)
- NZZ (05.09.2017)
- Picture: KEYSTONE/EPA EFE/JOSE JACOME