- Title: Colombian rebels move to transition zones despite structural incompletion
- Date: 30th January 2017
- Summary: CAUCA, COLOMBIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) CAUCA MOUNTAIN RANGE BANNER READING (IN SPANISH): "WELCOME TO THE 'NEW COLOMBIA' CAMP, EASTERN BLOCK, COMMANDER ALFONSO CANO, FARC-EP ENTRANCE TO CAMP WITH FARC FLAG AND BANNERS CLOSE-UP OF FARC MEMBER'S BOOTS AND GUN FARC MEMBERS IN FORMATION FEMALE FARC MEMBERS FARC MEMBERS SEEN BEHIND GUN VARIOUS OF ARMED FARC MEMBERS WALKING IN LINE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SUB-COMMANDER OF THE FARC'S EASTERN BLOCK, WALTER MENDOZA, SAYING: "There is a problem, there are no structures in the camps, you can go there and look where they are constructing the camps, and all there is are machines removing land, there isn't a brick there." MACHINE REMOVING LAND IN SPACE WHERE TRANSITION ZONE IS TO BE LOCATED CONSTRUCTION WORKER DRIVING TRUCK MACHINE REMOVING LAND IN SPACE WHERE TRANSITION ZONE IS TO BE LOCATED GUN PROPPED UP IN CAMP WITH FARC MEMBERS BEHIND WASHING CLOSE-UP OF FARC MEMBER WASHING VARIOUS OF FARC MEMBERS WASHING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SUB-COMMANDER OF THE FARC'S EASTERN BLOCK, WALTER, SAYING: "What does our arrival at the camps allow us? Firstly, to hand over everything to the state, our weapons, our personal belongings, everything, a list of everything, health. But if the structures are not there, then everything else will be late too." FARC MEMBERS DOING THEIR NAILS CLOSE-UP OF MALE FARC MEMBER FILING HIS NAILS FARC MEMBERS SEEN THROUGH TENT OPENING DOING THEIR NAILS CLOSE-UP OF FARC MEMBER PAINTING OTHER'S NAILS FARC MEMBER PAINTING OTHER'S NAILS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FARC MEMBER, AMANDA RIOS, SAYING: "We have to leave behind all of our military links, this process means we have to leave our weapons, our equipment, the campaign, everything. But the truth is that we have been here due to our revolutionary conscience, we do not receive a salary, or any other form of payment for this service which has been full time, and for life. It is not going to be easy because we are going out there with nothing in our pockets, to see how we can make this transition in the best way possible, so that it is not so drastic or so traumatic for each of us." FARC MEMBERS LISTENING TO ADDRESS CLOSE-UP OF FARC MEMBER'S HANDS WITH GLITTERY NAIL PAINT FARC MEMBERS LISTENING TO ADDRESS WITH BARREL OF GUN IN FOREFRONT CLOSE-UP OF BARREL OF GUN WITH FARC MEMBER BEHIND FARC MEMBER READING NEWSPAPER GENERAL VIEW OF FARC CAMP
- Embargoed: 13th February 2017 17:52
- Keywords: peace FARC transition zones disarmament Colombia
- Location: CALDONO, CAUCA, VIGIA DEL FUERTE, ANTIOQUIA, POLICARPA, NARINO, AND BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: CALDONO, CAUCA, VIGIA DEL FUERTE, ANTIOQUIA, POLICARPA, NARINO, AND BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA002619WL6R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels are on the move one final time, traveling by boat, road and on foot across jungle and mountains to demobilisation camps, as part of a deal to end more than 50 years of war, guerrillas and the government said.
Just under 4,400 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fighters are currently making their way to more than two dozen rural camps scattered around the country, accompanied by officials from the United Nations and the government.
The remainder of an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 FARC fighters are already at or near the demobilisation sites, where U.N. personnel are responsible for collecting weapons from the guerrillas.
U.N. officials are also assisting Colombian authorities with special justice proceedings against rebels accused of crimes against humanity, as well as reintegration and victim reparation efforts.
In a camp in the southwestern region of Cauca, however, where some 80 guerrilla fighters of the FARC's Eastern Bloc are concentrated, there is skepticism about what the file and rank will find in the demobilisation zones.
Members of the block say that the La Elvira camp where they are set to move to is completely empty.
"There is a problem, there are no structures in the camps, you can go there and look where they are constructing the camps, and all there is are machines removing land, there isn't a brick there," said Sub-Commander of the Eastern Bloc, Walter Mendoza, told Reuters.
The group said they would move to the camp and construct their own necessities if the government provides the materials, but that so far nothing has been delivered to the terrain.
"What does our arrival at the camps allow us? Firstly, to hand over everything to the state, our weapons, our personal belongings, everything, a list of everything, health. But if the structures are not there, then everything else will be late too," Mendoza added.
The group's demobilisation will mark an end to more than 52 years of bloodshed in the Andean nation by the FARC. Founded in 1964 to fight for rural reform and income equality, the rebels once had presence in nearly half of Colombia's territory.
The FARC, which decries state and paramilitary violence against the poor and minorities, was once notorious for high-profile kidnappings and fierce ambushes of government troops.
Member of the Eastern Block, Amanda Rios, expressed her nervous anticipation as the process of transition begins.
"We have to leave behind all of our military links, this process means we have to leave our weapons, our equipment, the campaign, everything. But the truth is that we have been here due to our revolutionary conscience, we do not receive a salary, or any other form of payment for this service which has been full time, and for life. It is not going to be easy because we are going out there with nothing in our pockets, to see how we can make this transition in the best way possible, so that it is not so drastic or so traumatic for each of us," said Rios.
The conflict between the government troops, rebel groups and paramilitaries has killed more than 220,000 people.
The rebels and the government of President Juan Manuel Santos hammered out a more than 300-page peace deal over nearly four years of negotiations in Havana, Cuba.
The original deal was rejected by voters in a referendum in October 2016, but a revised version was passed by Congress late last year.
The U.N., government and rebels are working together to build infrastructure at the camps, including housing, medical facilities and sanitation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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