COLOMBIA-REBELS/UPDATE Government and rebels address outstanding accords issues amid air raid halt

Record ID: 146067

  • Title: COLOMBIA-REBELS/UPDATE Government and rebels address outstanding accords issues amid air raid halt
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF PEACE NEGOTIATORS FROM THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE FARC ENTERING TALKS MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT'S NEGOTIATING TEAM MORE OF PEACE NEGOTIATORS ENTERING TALKS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NORWEGIAN REPRESENTATIVE AT THE COLOMBIAN PEACE TALKS, DAG NYLANDER, SAYING: "The BIDES (Humanitarian De-mining Battalion) started the clearing work in the area, which is extremely difficult given the steep terrain and the weather. In one of the first finds they found there to be a mine every 135 square meters (1,400 square feet) in three dangerous areas which come to 12,500 square meters (134,500 square feet), which makes it a great challenge because of the high volume of contamination (mines)."
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAF55SXMWILJ9SUZ29QNFQ5SIQQ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Tuesday (July 28) announced advancements in initiatives to clear mine fields in the country as part of the peace process being negotiated in Havana, Cuba.
    The sides released a joint statement and gave details on de-mining projects carried out in the village of El Orejon, Antioquia saying efforts to clear the area of explosives would be taken up again in coming days.
    One soldier was killed and another two injured in an explosion last week during efforts to clear explosives in the area carried out by the Colombian army, the rebels and the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA).
    A representative from the NPA, Dag Nylander, read a statement to journalists in Havana on Tuesday saying the army's de-mining battalion, known as BIDES, had begun the difficult task of clearing mines in the area.
    "The BIDES (Humanitarian De-mining Battalion) started the clearing work in the area, which is extremely difficult given the steep terrain and the weather. In one of the first finds they found there to be a mine every 135 square meters (1,400 square feet) in three dangerous areas which come to 12,500 square meters (134,500 square feet), which makes it a great challenge because of the high volume of contamination (mines)," Nylander said.
    The government and the FARC also read statements regarding the de-mining efforts, the de-escalation of the conflict and the prospects of the peace talks.
    "The best interest of the Colombian people is to preserve the spirit of the de-escalation of the conflict. It is something we should safeguard. If we want to end the conflict, which has unanimous support, the good news is the slowing of the intensity of the war. That there are fewer deaths," the head of the government delegation, Humberto de la Calle said.
    The FARC's number 2 man, and the head of the FARC's negotiating team, Ivan Marquez, touted recent advancements in peace talks including a unilateral FARC ceasefire and a pledge by the government of President Juan Manuel Santos to halt bombing raids.
    "The unilateral ceasefire declared by the FARC and the immediate correspondence by the government announcing a cessation of bombings, should be extended to other reciprocal gestures of de-escalation by the sides so that all of Colombia is covered by the benefits of a calm atmosphere, now that it moves to more reliability toward a final agreement," Marquez said.
    The FARC and the Colombian government are currently discussing the issue of reparations for victims of the conflict which has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions over the past half century.
    The peace talks between the two parties have been held in Cuba over the last two and a half years and have been able to make the most advancement towards peace in the latest effort to end the decades of violent conflict.
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