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Colombia, leftist rebels putting final touches on peace deal

The ceasefire negotiations started four years ago and a formal announcement is slated to be made in Havana, Cuba on Thursday afternoon.

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A formal announcement will be made here in Havana, where negotiations began almost four years ago, but the two sides are still ironing out a minor details of their final accord, Colombian officials said late Tuesday.

While the smaller details are still being worked out, the major issues have reportedly been addressed.

Unless the Colombian people turn down the peace deal, this conflict will come to an end, leaving millions of victims.

“We are at the doors of important announcements that bring us close to the final deal”, said FARC leader Timolean Jimenez on Twitter.

President Juan Manuel Santos, who has staked his legacy to the peace accord, will be campaigning for Colombians to approve it.

To aid the peace process that follows the FARC’s dismantling, a European fund has been set up consisting of $79 million from the Union’s budget that will receive another $23 million from several EU member states. Colombian voters must ratify the deal at the ballot box in a still-unscheduled vote, likely to take place in October, that is shaping up to be a final showdown between the country’s two biggest political archrivals.

As part of the peace deal, they have agreed to concentrate their troops in 23 areas scattered across the country, where they will gradually hand over their weapons to United Nations observers over six months.

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The most recent round of public opinion polls on the plebiscite show the yes and no votes practically tied with a third of voter intention each. Should the deal pass, FARC will have 180 days to disband its 7,000 fighters.

Colombian Government and FARC-EP Verify Progress in Peace Process