A group of Colombian FARC rebels on Friday became the first to formally complete a disarmament process under a peace accord to end a half-century conflict, United Nations monitors said.

&quot;A first group of 12 members of the FARC received today from the UN mission a certificate of completion of individual disarmament, which allows them to formally begin their reintegration into civilian life,&quot; the UN said in a statement.

&quot;With this event, a continuous process begins to certify the FARC members who are making the transition to civilian life after laying down their arms.&quot;

The FARC is disarming under UN supervision as part of last year&#39;s accord, which the government says will effectively end a 53-year civil conflict.

Under the accord, all the FARC&#39;s weapons are supposed to be taken away by the United Nations by the end of this month to be destroyed.

The arms were all supposed to have been handed over by May 1, but the UN said there were delays because some FARC members were late arriving at the agreed demobilization zones.

The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country&#39;s biggest rebel group, reached a deal after four years of negotiations.

Voters rejected the deal by a narrow margin in a referendum last October.

Colombia&#39;s President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leaders drafted a new version of the accord and the government pushed it through congress despite ongoing resistance from critics.

Critics said the deal was too lenient on FARC members since it offered some of them reduced penalties for crimes committed during the conflict.

Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts despite the referendum setback.

Under the deal Herminsul Arellan Barajas, one of the men convicted for a FARC bombing that killed 36 people in Bogota in 2003, was released from jail on parole on Friday, a source in the penitentiary service told AFP.

The government in February opened negotiations with the last active rebel force, the National Liberation Army (ELN), in the hope of sealing a &quot;complete peace.&quot;

The Colombian conflict erupted in 1964 when the FARC and ELN took up arms for rural land rights.

It drew in various rebel and paramilitary forces and drug gangs as well as state forces.

The conflict has left at least 260,000 people dead and displaced more than seven million, according to the authorities.

(AFP)

The FARC is disarming under UN supervision as part of last year's accord, which the government says will effectively end a 53-year civil conflict

A group of Colombian FARC rebels on Friday became the first to formally complete a disarmament process under a peace accord to end a half-century conflict, United Nations monitors said. "A first group of 12 members of the FARC received today from the UN mission a certificate of completion of individual disarmament, which allows them to formally begin their reintegration into civilian life," the UN said in a statement. "With this event, a continuous process begins to certify the FARC members who are making the transition to civilian life after laying down their arms." The FARC is disarming under UN supervision as part of last year's accord, which the government says will effectively end a 53-year civil conflict. Under the accord, all the FARC's weapons are supposed to be taken away by the United Nations by the end of this month to be destroyed. The arms were all supposed to have been handed over by May 1, but the UN said there were delays because some FARC members were late arriving at the agreed demobilization zones. The government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's biggest rebel group, reached a deal after four years of negotiations. Voters rejected the deal by a narrow margin in a referendum last October. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leaders drafted a new version of the accord and the government pushed it through congress despite ongoing resistance from critics. Critics said the deal was too lenient on FARC members since it offered some of them reduced penalties for crimes committed during the conflict. Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts despite the referendum setback. Under the deal Herminsul Arellan Barajas, one of the men convicted for a FARC bombing that killed 36 people in Bogota in 2003, was released from jail on parole on Friday, a source in the penitentiary service told AFP. The government in February opened negotiations with the last active rebel force, the National Liberation Army (ELN), in the hope of sealing a "complete peace." The Colombian conflict erupted in 1964 when the FARC and ELN took up arms for rural land rights. It drew in various rebel and paramilitary forces and drug gangs as well as state forces. The conflict has left at least 260,000 people dead and displaced more than seven million, according to the authorities. (AFP)

First Colombia FARC rebels complete disarmament: UN

Colombia&#39;s Congress approved a new peace deal with FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) rebels late on Wednesday, despite objections from former president and now senator Alvaro Uribe, who said it was still too lenient on the insurgents who have battled the government for 52 years.

The agreement was approved in the lower house by 130-0, a day after the Senate ratified it 75-0. Lawmakers from Uribe&#39;s Democratic Center party left the floors of both houses in protest just before voting began.

The ratification - and signing last week - begins a six-month countdown for the 7,000-strong FARC, which started as a rebellion fighting rural poverty, to abandon weapons and form a political party.

President Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Rodrigo Londono signed the revised accord last week in a sober ceremony after the first deal was rejected in a national plebiscite.

Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his peace efforts, wants to get the deal implemented as quickly as possible to maintain a fragile ceasefire.

Uribe&#39;s supporters argued the deal offered too many concessions to&nbsp;FARC, and did not serve as a deterrent for other groups involved in crime.

&quot;Let&#39;s not forget what we are doing today, we&#39;re trying to end more than 50 years of war,&quot; government negotiator Sergio Jaramillo said.

The new agreement to end Latin America&#39;s longest insurgency was put together in just over a month after the original pact, which allowed the rebels to hold public office and skip jail, was narrowly and unexpectedly defeated in an October 2 referendum.

While the government says the accord includes most of the proposals put forward by those who rejected it, the new document did not alter those two key provisions. That angered many among Colombia&#39;s largely conservative population, who are also furious that Santos decided to ratify the deal in Congress instead of holding another plebiscite.

The government and FARC worked together in Cuba for four years to negotiate an end to the region&#39;s longest-running conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean nation.

An end to the war with FARC is unlikely to end violence in Colombia as the lucrative cocaine business has given rise to criminal gangs and traffickers.

(Reuters)

The agreement was approved in the lower house by 130-0, a day after the Senate ratified it 75-0

Colombia's Congress approved a new peace deal with FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) rebels late on Wednesday, despite objections from former president and now senator Alvaro Uribe, who said it was still too lenient on the insurgents who have battled the government for 52 years. The agreement was approved in the lower house by 130-0, a day after the Senate ratified it 75-0. Lawmakers from Uribe's Democratic Center party left the floors of both houses in protest just before voting began. The ratification - and signing last week - begins a six-month countdown for the 7,000-strong FARC, which started as a rebellion fighting rural poverty, to abandon weapons and form a political party. President Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Rodrigo Londono signed the revised accord last week in a sober ceremony after the first deal was rejected in a national plebiscite. Santos, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for his peace efforts, wants to get the deal implemented as quickly as possible to maintain a fragile ceasefire. Uribe's supporters argued the deal offered too many concessions to FARC, and did not serve as a deterrent for other groups involved in crime. "Let's not forget what we are doing today, we're trying to end more than 50 years of war," government negotiator Sergio Jaramillo said. The new agreement to end Latin America's longest insurgency was put together in just over a month after the original pact, which allowed the rebels to hold public office and skip jail, was narrowly and unexpectedly defeated in an October 2 referendum. While the government says the accord includes most of the proposals put forward by those who rejected it, the new document did not alter those two key provisions. That angered many among Colombia's largely conservative population, who are also furious that Santos decided to ratify the deal in Congress instead of holding another plebiscite. The government and FARC worked together in Cuba for four years to negotiate an end to the region's longest-running conflict that has killed more than 220,000 and displaced millions in the Andean nation. An end to the war with FARC is unlikely to end violence in Colombia as the lucrative cocaine business has given rise to criminal gangs and traffickers. (Reuters)

New Colombia peace deal approved, hopefully ends 52-year war

Six weeks after Colombians shocked the world by rejecting a historic peace accord with the FARC rebels, negotiators have come back with a new deal. But, will it work this time?

&quot;Implement this now,&quot; the government&#39;s chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, urged the country on Tuesday, a day after version 2.0 was published.

After four years of talks and a last-ditch return to the drawing board, &quot;there&#39;s really no more room to negotiate,&quot; said De la Calle.

But President Juan Manuel Santos, who won this year&#39;s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, still faces a potentially huge obstacle in the form of his predecessor, Alvaro Uribe. The right-wing senator led the opposition to the first deal, arguing it was too soft on the Marxist guerrillas. He has yet to give his verdict on the revisions.

Here are some points on how the new deal stacks up against the old one, and whether it stands a better chance of ending a half-century conflict that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.

&nbsp;

New referendum?

The defeat of the original deal in an October 2 referendum defied opinion polls, flew in the face of international backing and jeopardised Santos&#39;s legacy.

Will he risk it all again? That&#39;s unclear. The new deal does not specify how it is to be ratified. That leaves open any number of possibilities, including another referendum or simply a vote in Congress, where Santos has a majority.

&nbsp;

More justice?

Critics attacked the first deal as granting impunity to war criminals. The revisions seek to fend off that claim. But there will still be no jail time for those who confess.

Special courts to try crimes linked to the conflict, and give lenient alternative sentences, originally had no expiration date. Now they will have jurisdiction for 10 years, with possible extensions to 15.

A bill on reduced sentences will be sent to Congress, with a special section on leniency for soldiers and police, a key opposition demand. For the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, crimes such as drug trafficking will only receive amnesty if the perpetrators &quot;did not personally profit&quot;.

&nbsp;

FARC concessions?

The FARC has agreed to publish its assets, a sort of financial statement on the guerrilla enterprise funded by drug trafficking, illegal mining and ransom kidnappings. The money will be used to pay reparations to victims.

The FARC will also list all its members, including allied militias. Rebels involved in drug trafficking are ordered to submit a report on their activities to help police investigate remaining cartels.

&nbsp;

Other changes?

Whereas the original deal was to be written into the constitution, the revised version will simply hold sway for three presidential terms: 12 years. In another change, the government will use both carrots and sticks to tackle coca farming, which has fueled the conflict in the world&#39;s largest cocaine producer.

Farmers will still be encouraged to switch to legal crops, but the government will not end US-backed aerial herbicide spraying, despite dire health warnings.The edits also deleted explicit mention of &quot;gender equality&quot; and special treatment for sexual minorities, after an outcry from conservative religious groups.

&nbsp;

Will it work?

The new 310-page deal revisits all but one of the 57 points that Uribe&#39;s camp had criticised. But the changes may not be sweeping enough for opponents.

And the untouched item is a big one: rebels&#39; right to run for elected office. The FARC will still get 10 automatic seats in Congress from 2018.

&quot;The changes are unlikely to please the opposition,&quot; said Maria Luisa Puig, an analyst at the Eurasia Group consultancy. She predicted Santos would skip a potentially fatal second referendum. But that &quot;will raise doubts about (the deal&#39;s) political viability and the implementation process,&quot; she said in a note.

Some experts sounded more optimistic. &quot;There will be criticism, but not enough to block implementation,&quot; said Angelika Rettberg of Los Andes University in Bogota.

(AFP)

'Implement this now,' government's chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, urged the country Tuesday, a day after version 2.0 was published

Six weeks after Colombians shocked the world by rejecting a historic peace accord with the FARC rebels, negotiators have come back with a new deal. But, will it work this time? "Implement this now," the government's chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, urged the country on Tuesday, a day after version 2.0 was published. After four years of talks and a last-ditch return to the drawing board, "there's really no more room to negotiate," said De la Calle. But President Juan Manuel Santos, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, still faces a potentially huge obstacle in the form of his predecessor, Alvaro Uribe. The right-wing senator led the opposition to the first deal, arguing it was too soft on the Marxist guerrillas. He has yet to give his verdict on the revisions. Here are some points on how the new deal stacks up against the old one, and whether it stands a better chance of ending a half-century conflict that has claimed more than 260,000 lives. New referendum? The defeat of the original deal in an October 2 referendum defied opinion polls, flew in the face of international backing and jeopardised Santos's legacy. Will he risk it all again? That's unclear. The new deal does not specify how it is to be ratified. That leaves open any number of possibilities, including another referendum or simply a vote in Congress, where Santos has a majority. More justice? Critics attacked the first deal as granting impunity to war criminals. The revisions seek to fend off that claim. But there will still be no jail time for those who confess. Special courts to try crimes linked to the conflict, and give lenient alternative sentences, originally had no expiration date. Now they will have jurisdiction for 10 years, with possible extensions to 15. A bill on reduced sentences will be sent to Congress, with a special section on leniency for soldiers and police, a key opposition demand. For the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, crimes such as drug trafficking will only receive amnesty if the perpetrators "did not personally profit". FARC concessions? The FARC has agreed to publish its assets, a sort of financial statement on the guerrilla enterprise funded by drug trafficking, illegal mining and ransom kidnappings. The money will be used to pay reparations to victims. The FARC will also list all its members, including allied militias. Rebels involved in drug trafficking are ordered to submit a report on their activities to help police investigate remaining cartels. Other changes? Whereas the original deal was to be written into the constitution, the revised version will simply hold sway for three presidential terms: 12 years. In another change, the government will use both carrots and sticks to tackle coca farming, which has fueled the conflict in the world's largest cocaine producer. Farmers will still be encouraged to switch to legal crops, but the government will not end US-backed aerial herbicide spraying, despite dire health warnings.The edits also deleted explicit mention of "gender equality" and special treatment for sexual minorities, after an outcry from conservative religious groups. Will it work? The new 310-page deal revisits all but one of the 57 points that Uribe's camp had criticised. But the changes may not be sweeping enough for opponents. And the untouched item is a big one: rebels' right to run for elected office. The FARC will still get 10 automatic seats in Congress from 2018. "The changes are unlikely to please the opposition," said Maria Luisa Puig, an analyst at the Eurasia Group consultancy. She predicted Santos would skip a potentially fatal second referendum. But that "will raise doubts about (the deal's) political viability and the implementation process," she said in a note. Some experts sounded more optimistic. "There will be criticism, but not enough to block implementation," said Angelika Rettberg of Los Andes University in Bogota. (AFP)

Will Colombia's new peace deal work this time?

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos opened a new national dialogue on Monday to seek peace with FARC rebels as both sides scrambled to revive a peace deal to end the half-century conflict.

In a televised address a day after voters rejected the agreement in a referendum, Santos said he had asked the government&#39;s chief negotiator Humberto de la Calle to &quot;begin discussions as soon as possible addressing all the necessary issues to have an agreement and realise the dream of every Colombian to end the war with the FARC.&quot;

De la Calle had earlier offered his resignation, saying he did not want to be &quot;an obstacle to what comes next&quot;.

Monday&#39;s announcement came after Santos, who has staked his legacy on ending the 52-year-old conflict, called an emergency meeting with leaders of the country&#39;s political parties to try to chart a way forward after Sunday&#39;s shock referendum defeat.

As he arrived, a visibly crestfallen Santos said the meeting would seek &quot;common ground and unity&quot;.

&quot;That&#39;s more important now than ever,&quot; he said.

The leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Rodrigo Londono, meanwhile said in a video from Havana, where the peace talks were held, that the Marxist guerrillas, like the government, remained committed to an ongoing ceasefire.

Londono, better known by the nom de guerre Timoleon &quot;Timochenko&quot; Jimenez, said the rebels were prepared to &quot;fix&quot; the rejected deal.

The result &quot;does not mean the battle for peace is lost,&quot; he said.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who had offered a UN team to oversee the disarmament process, said he had &quot;urgently&quot; sent his Colombia envoy to Havana, where the four-year talks have been held, for new consultations.

But the outcome left no clear path to end a conflict that has claimed more than 260,000 lives and left 45,000 missing.

Opinion polls had showed the &quot;Yes&quot; camp well ahead, and negotiators had said there was no Plan B in the event of a &quot;No&quot; vote.

The peace deal had been hailed as historic from the time it was concluded on August 24 to the moment it was signed last week in the presence of Ban and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

But many Colombians resented the blood shed by the Marxist guerrillas and the lenient punishment the deal meted out for their crimes.

Voters rejected the agreement by a razor-thin margin: 50.21 per cent for the &quot;No&quot; camp to 49.78 per cent for &quot;Yes.&quot;

Voter turnout was low, at just over 37 per cent.

Although a referendum was not required to adopt the deal, Santos insisted on holding one to ensure its legitimacy.

- Hatred of the FARC -

Santos&#39;s top political rival, former president Alvaro Uribe, led the &quot;No&quot; campaign.

His right-wing party, the Democratic Center, was notably absent from the meeting Santos held at the presidential palace to assess options following the referendum.

Commentators compared the result&#39;s effect to June&#39;s surprise &quot;Brexit&quot; vote for Britain to leave the European Union.

Forecasts apparently miscalculated Colombians&#39; desire to punish the FARC.

The accord called for the FARC&#39;s 5,765 rebels to disarm and the group to become a political party with guaranteed seats in Congress.

That did not sit well with some Colombians who remember the FARC for massacring civilians, seizing hostages and sowing terror in a multi-sided conflict that has seen atrocities committed all around.

&quot;How should we respond to the damage they&#39;ve done to the nation? That sums it all up,&quot; said political analyst Jorge Restrepo, head of Bogota&#39;s Conflict Analysis Resource Center.

- Nobel hopes dashed -

Santos and Londono had been tipped as top contenders for this year&#39;s Nobel Peace Prize.

But that prospect all but vanished with the referendum defeat, experts said.

&quot;The Colombian peace treaty or anybody associated with it simply is not a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize this year,&quot; said Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of Oslo&#39;s Peace Research Institute.

The accord has now &quot;lost legitimacy&quot; to the point that it &quot;is dead and cannot be implemented&quot;, said Maria Luisa Puig of the Eurasia Group consultancy.

The FARC launched its guerrilla war in 1964 after the army crushed a peasant uprising.

Over the years, the conflict has drawn in several leftist rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs.

(AFP)

President Santos said he has asked the government's chief negotiator 'to begin discussions as soon as possible... to end war with FARC'

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos opened a new national dialogue on Monday to seek peace with FARC rebels as both sides scrambled to revive a peace deal to end the half-century conflict. In a televised address a day after voters rejected the agreement in a referendum, Santos said he had asked the government's chief negotiator Humberto de la Calle to "begin discussions as soon as possible addressing all the necessary issues to have an agreement and realise the dream of every Colombian to end the war with the FARC." De la Calle had earlier offered his resignation, saying he did not want to be "an obstacle to what comes next". Monday's announcement came after Santos, who has staked his legacy on ending the 52-year-old conflict, called an emergency meeting with leaders of the country's political parties to try to chart a way forward after Sunday's shock referendum defeat. As he arrived, a visibly crestfallen Santos said the meeting would seek "common ground and unity". "That's more important now than ever," he said. The leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Rodrigo Londono, meanwhile said in a video from Havana, where the peace talks were held, that the Marxist guerrillas, like the government, remained committed to an ongoing ceasefire. Londono, better known by the nom de guerre Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, said the rebels were prepared to "fix" the rejected deal. The result "does not mean the battle for peace is lost," he said. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who had offered a UN team to oversee the disarmament process, said he had "urgently" sent his Colombia envoy to Havana, where the four-year talks have been held, for new consultations. But the outcome left no clear path to end a conflict that has claimed more than 260,000 lives and left 45,000 missing. Opinion polls had showed the "Yes" camp well ahead, and negotiators had said there was no Plan B in the event of a "No" vote. The peace deal had been hailed as historic from the time it was concluded on August 24 to the moment it was signed last week in the presence of Ban and US Secretary of State John Kerry. But many Colombians resented the blood shed by the Marxist guerrillas and the lenient punishment the deal meted out for their crimes. Voters rejected the agreement by a razor-thin margin: 50.21 per cent for the "No" camp to 49.78 per cent for "Yes." Voter turnout was low, at just over 37 per cent. Although a referendum was not required to adopt the deal, Santos insisted on holding one to ensure its legitimacy. - Hatred of the FARC - Santos's top political rival, former president Alvaro Uribe, led the "No" campaign. His right-wing party, the Democratic Center, was notably absent from the meeting Santos held at the presidential palace to assess options following the referendum. Commentators compared the result's effect to June's surprise "Brexit" vote for Britain to leave the European Union. Forecasts apparently miscalculated Colombians' desire to punish the FARC. The accord called for the FARC's 5,765 rebels to disarm and the group to become a political party with guaranteed seats in Congress. That did not sit well with some Colombians who remember the FARC for massacring civilians, seizing hostages and sowing terror in a multi-sided conflict that has seen atrocities committed all around. "How should we respond to the damage they've done to the nation? That sums it all up," said political analyst Jorge Restrepo, head of Bogota's Conflict Analysis Resource Center. - Nobel hopes dashed - Santos and Londono had been tipped as top contenders for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. But that prospect all but vanished with the referendum defeat, experts said. "The Colombian peace treaty or anybody associated with it simply is not a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize this year," said Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of Oslo's Peace Research Institute. The accord has now "lost legitimacy" to the point that it "is dead and cannot be implemented", said Maria Luisa Puig of the Eurasia Group consultancy. The FARC launched its guerrilla war in 1964 after the army crushed a peasant uprising. Over the years, the conflict has drawn in several leftist rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs. (AFP)

Colombian president, FARC rebels scramble to save peace deal

Colombians are divided on a potential peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), an Ipsos survey showed on Sunday, amid skepticism about political participation by the guerrillas. 
 
The government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC rebels have been in peace talks for nearly four years, and ten days ago signed a historic ceasefire deal considered the penultimate step to a final accord. Santos has promised that any deal would have to be approved by Colombians in a referendum. 
 
A poll by Ipsos showed that 36 per cent of Colombians would vote in favour of a deal&nbsp;while 25 per cent would vote against and 36 per cent would abstain. Three per cent were undecided. 
 
Fifty six per cent had a favourable view of the bilateral ceasefire agreement but 52 per cent said they were pessimistic that a final deal would be reached, the poll showed. 
 
Seventy one per cent said they were opposed to FARC leaders running for office. Under a partial deal at the talks FARC leaders convicted of crimes against humanity will have to serve alternative punishments including clearing land mines in order to be eligible for political participation. 
 
One thousand people were interviewed for the survey, which had a 3.1 per cent margin of error. 
 
(Reuters)

The poll showed that 36 per cent would vote in favour of a deal?while 25 per cent would vote against and 36 per cent would abstain

Colombians are divided on a potential peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), an Ipsos survey showed on Sunday, amid skepticism about political participation by the guerrillas. The government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC rebels have been in peace talks for nearly four years, and ten days ago signed a historic ceasefire deal considered the penultimate step to a final accord. Santos has promised that any deal would have to be approved by Colombians in a referendum. A poll by Ipsos showed that 36 per cent of Colombians would vote in favour of a deal while 25 per cent would vote against and 36 per cent would abstain. Three per cent were undecided. Fifty six per cent had a favourable view of the bilateral ceasefire agreement but 52 per cent said they were pessimistic that a final deal would be reached, the poll showed. Seventy one per cent said they were opposed to FARC leaders running for office. Under a partial deal at the talks FARC leaders convicted of crimes against humanity will have to serve alternative punishments including clearing land mines in order to be eligible for political participation. One thousand people were interviewed for the survey, which had a 3.1 per cent margin of error. (Reuters)

Colombia divided on peace deal between government and FARC rebels: survey