UN chief welcomes truce agreement in Colombia

UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed on Sunday the announcement of a six-month cease-fire between the Colombian government and five armed groups.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on New Year's Eve bilateral cease-fire agreements with five rebel groups from Jan 1 to June 30, 2023, which he said can be extended depending on the progress of negotiations.

The cease-fire is a development that brings renewed hope for comprehensive peace to the Colombian people as the New Year dawns, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman, in a statement. "The secretary-general trusts that adherence to these commitments will reduce violence and the suffering of conflict-affected communities, while helping to build confidence in ongoing dialogues," Dujarric said.

The secretary-general reaffirms the support of the United Nations to Colombia's efforts to achieve full and lasting peace, the statement added.

Seeking 'total peace'

Petro announced on Twitter that he wants "total peace" in the country, with groups of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, the Segunda Marquetalia, the Central General Staff, the AGC and the Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada.

In a statement on Sunday, the government said the cease-fire would be monitored by the UN, Colombia's human rights ombudsman and the Catholic Church.

Peace talks had been suspended under the government of former president Ivan Duque, but Petro resumed negotiations soon after taking office on Aug 7.

So far, negotiations with various armed groups, with a combined total of more than 10,000 fighters, have failed to end a spiral of violence engulfing the country. The Institute for Development and Peace Studies, or INDEPAZ, recorded nearly 100 massacres last year.

The ELN has been negotiating with the government since November. On Dec 19, it announced a unilateral cease-fire until Jan 2.

The government then called on other groups to join the truce.

The Segunda Marquetalia and Central General Staff have held separate exploratory talks with the government.

The government is offering the groups "benevolent treatment from the judicial point of view" in exchange for "a surrender of assets, a dismantling of these organizations and the possibility that they stop exercising these illicit economies", Senator Ivan Cepeda told Agence France-Presse.

Colombia has suffered more than 50 years of armed conflict between the state and various armed groups and drug traffickers.

Petro vowed to negotiate with all Colombian armed groups as part of his "total peace" policy when he took power last August.

Agencies - Xinhua