An agreement has been reached between Colombia’s government and a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who had rejected the 2016 peace agreement, as stated in an official announcement. The discussions will focus on establishing a temporary ceasefire between the government and the dissident group, known as the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), which consists of approximately 3,500 members.
President Gustavo Petro, a leftist leader, has made a commitment to end Colombia’s 60-year conflict, which has resulted in the loss of at least 450,000 lives. His strategy involves reaching peace or surrender agreements with remaining rebel factions and criminal gangs, as well as fully implementing the peace accord with the FARC.
In a joint statement released on Saturday and shared on Twitter by the Colombian government’s High Commissioner for Peace on Sunday, both parties expressed their unwavering commitment to work towards constructing a comprehensive Peace Agreement that brings an end to the armed conflict. They emphasized the importance of achieving integral, stable, and lasting peace with a focus on social and environmental justice.
The EMC is one of two splinter groups from the FARC that did not accept the previous peace deal, which led to the demobilization of 13,000 individuals and the formation of a political party that secured 10 seats in Congress. The government is also engaged in talks with another rebel organization, the National Liberation Army (ELN), which was not part of the 2016 agreement. In June, both parties announced a six-month ceasefire scheduled to begin in August.
