The Colombian government and leftist rebels announced Sunday that they will seek to work out a cease-fire that would end a more than five-decade long conflict in this South American nation.
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He said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were acting on an appeal issued Tuesday by four countries supporting the peace talks, in order to dial back half a century of war after a recent spike in combat.
“The national government will as of July 20 put in place a process of de-escalation of military actions in correspondence with a suspension of military action by the FARC”, the statement said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is applauding the announcement on Twitter as a significant step.
Earlier this month, Colombia’s top government negotiator had warned that time for a deal was running out.
The Colombian government and the guerrilla movement have been holding peace talks in Havana since late 2012.
“We reaffirm our decision to relinquish weapons”, FARC representative Ricardo Tellez said on Thursday.
The Farc’s chief negotiator at the talks in Cuba, Ivan Marquez, said he hoped the ceasefire could lead to a bilateral truce.
Talks in Havana have so far resulted in agreements on three topics of a six-point agenda, including ending drug trafficking that has fueled the conflict.
The historic agreement comes just days after the guarantor nations to the peace process – Norway and Cuba – called on both parties to agree to a truce.
A December FARC unilateral ceasefire had fallen apart and clashes resumed in mid-April, following an ambush by the rebels that left 11 soldiers dead.
Despite the escalation in the conflict since then, which has involved several attacks on oil and electrical infrastructure by the FARC as well as increased casualties on both sides, negotiations in Havana have continued apace.
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Around 30 rebels have been killed since the end of that ceasefire, and recent polls show the public has become increasingly wary of the effectiveness of peace talks.
