COLOMBIA-REBELS/CUBA-PEACE TALKS FARC warns unilateral ceasefire could be in jeopardy

Record ID: 350123

  • Title: COLOMBIA-REBELS/CUBA-PEACE TALKS FARC warns unilateral ceasefire could be in jeopardy
  • Date: 19th March 2015
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MARCH 19, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA (FARC) DELEGATION ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE FARC DELEGATES LISTENING GENERAL OF NEWS CONFERENCE LED BY IVAN MARQUEZ, FARC DELEGATE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) IVAN MARQUEZ, FARC DELEGATE, SAYING: "We are asking President Santos to do something to sa
  • Embargoed: 3rd April 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Cuba
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEIMZPGCMPIMY7HCSF88BXHZPI
  • Story Text: Colombia's FARC guerrillas on Thursday (March 19) threatened to end a unilateral truce that has been in place since December unless the government of President Juan Manuel Santos calls off military attacks on rebel positions.
    The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) called a truce at Christmastime and Santos responded on March 10 by announcing Colombia's armed forces would halt aerial bombing raids for one month, saying said the reprieve could be extended if the FARC continued its ceasefire.
    But the FARC complained that the Colombian military was carrying out other offensive manoeuvres in recent days.
    "We are asking President Santos to do something to save the unilateral and indefinite called by the FARC. Stop these (military) operations against the guerrilla forces," rebel leader Ivan Marquez told reporters in Havana, the site of peace talks.
    "The government must make an effort to stop these stubborn forces that it has in some institutions that are looking to ruin this good effort (talks) that would give us many possibilities and a better environment to be able to advance in the construction of accords at this table in Havana," he added.
    The Santos government and the FARC have been meeting in Cuba for the past two years and four months in an attempt to end Latin America's longest war, which has killed around 220,000 people and displaced millions since 1964.
    Fighting has continued in the meantime, and bombings raids against the FARC's remote jungle and mountain hide-outs have enabled the government to kill several high-ranking rebel leaders in recent years.
    Peace negotiators have reached partial deals on land reform, rebels' participation in politics and an end to the illegal drug trade. They are now tackling victim reparations and rebel demobilization.
    In a side agreement, the two sides have also announced a joint effort to begin removing landmines across the country.
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