Peace Negotiations
Thursday, April 23, 2015 - 06:31
The top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, Roberta Jacobsen, said Tuesday that Washington backs Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' idea of placing "time limits" on the peace talks with the FARC rebel group, which began in November 2012. "If the president believes that that is the best way to move the process forward, we're supporting his efforts," said Jacobson.
Friday, April 17, 2015 - 07:45
In the last few months, the rebels had declared a unilateral cease-fire, pledging to stop carrying out attacks, and had promised to stop recruiting child fighters. The two sides had even agreed to work together to find and destroy the thousands of land mines littering Colombia after five decades of war.
Friday, April 17, 2015 - 06:46
Civilian organizations from the southwest of Colombia have called for a bilateral ceasefire after five civilians were killed in what appeared a spike in violence following a FARC attack that killed 11 soldiers.According to the local organizations, the five civilians were killed in Suarez, a municipality close to the village where the FARC killed 11 soldiers in what appeared to be a surprise attack on resting members of the military earlier in the week.
Thursday, April 16, 2015 - 05:44
Ten soldiers killed by rebels in early morning ambush described by President Santos as a "rupture" of FARC's ceasefire.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015 - 05:55
Ten Colombian soldiers have been killed in an attack by left-wing Farc rebels in west of the country, officials say.
Thursday, April 9, 2015 - 08:47
Rival Central African Republic (CAR) groups have signed a ceasefire deal in an effort to provide the country with a political solution. The agreements aim to end years of fighting involving mostly Muslim Seleka and mostly Christian Anti-Balaka coalition groups, as well as government forces. There will be a second round of talks between the two leaders in Nairobi, but no timeframe has been given.
Monday, April 6, 2015 - 05:01
The United States should take responsibility for its role in Colombia’s armed conflict, said local rebel group ELN on Sunda
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 - 06:38
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday began a tour of the country’s military barracks to explain ongoing peace talks with guerrilla group FARC and quell unrest about possible military cuts in the event of peace.
Friday, March 27, 2015 - 07:19
President Santos's optimism has not been shared by many Colombians, who after three previous attempts by the government and FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) to sign a peace deal, are wary of predicting success this time. But as peace talks in Havana slowly advance, both sides have taken conciliatory steps in recent months, raising hopes that the negotiations have reached a point of no return.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - 08:57
As a child soldier for Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, Jairo watched his fellow fighters seed trails and pastures with anti-personnel mines designed to kill and maim. Sometimes they made careful maps indicating where the explosives were buried. Other times they carried the knowledge in their heads — and when they died in combat the mines became a perilous mystery.