UN chief visits Colombia ahead of anniversary of FARC peace deal | United Nations News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is visiting Colombia as the nation of South America prepares to celebrate the fifth anniversary of a fragile peace agreement between the government and the country at one time. the largest armed rebel group.

Accompanied by Colombian President Ivan Duque, Guterres visited Llano Grande on Tuesday, a center for the reintegration of former members. Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Rebel Marxist group.

It was signed by the Colombian government and members of the FARC peace agreement in 2016 millions displaced and more than 260,000 people killed to end the nearly six-decade-long armed conflict.

The five-year anniversary of the agreement – which involved about 13,000 FARC fighters laying down their arms and pledging to take civilian life – is celebrated on Wednesday.

“Every day, they renew their commitment to build a country in peace and face the challenges that remain,” Guterres said in a tweet about his visit to Llano Grande. “They know that peace does not come overnight. It takes effort to build and maintain. ”

I am grateful to have met members of the Llano Grande community in Colombia.

Every day, they renew their commitment to build a country in peace and face the remaining challenges.

They know that peace does not come overnight. It takes effort to build and maintain. pic.twitter.com/zd1DVxQAwh

– António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 23, 2021

The UN chief also deplored the “enemies of peace” and called for “ensuring the security of former fighters, social leaders and security.” human rights defenders”Colombia. “We need to redouble our efforts to ensure sustainability [reintegration] projects, with technical and financial support, land and housing, ”he said.

Despite the 2016 agreement, the violence continues In several places in Colombia, where the peace agreement was rejected, FARC dissidents still have weapons and more armed groups and drug traffickers act.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) he said in March, 389 people were killed in Colombia last year as a result of explosives – the highest number since 2016 – as the armed conflict worsened in the country. The ICRC said most of the victims were civilians.

Nearly 300 former FARC members they have also been killed since the agreement was signed across the country, according to local promotion group Indepaz.

On Tuesday, Guterres met with a former FARC commander Rodrigo LondonHe said Duque’s presence was a source of “encouragement.”

“Despite many obstacles … despite the fact that we have killed nearly 300 members, we remain committed to the path we took five years ago,” said London, who is often referred to by his first nickname Timochenko.

“We will keep our promises to Colombia and the world,” he said.

NBEk he said Guterres also spoke with Fredy Gustavo Dimate, another former FARC fighter who has been a member of the group for two decades but has been training and working in coffee production since the peace agreement was reached.

Meanwhile, even on Tuesday, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to remove the FARC from its list of foreign “terrorist organizations,” the Reuters news agency reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Reuters said the U.S. State Department had informed Congress of its plan and expected the announcement in the coming days.

The removal of the designation “terrorism” could help release U.S. aid for projects involving former FARC members and strengthen the agreement, in general, with another demonstration of U.S. aid.

“We have begun the process of consulting with Congress on the actions we are taking around the FARC,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a daily speech.

Price declined to determine whether this would lead to the FARC being blacklisted, but the Biden administration said it was committed to “implementing and safeguarding” the Colombian peace agreement.

The Colombian government, one of Washington’s closest allies in Latin America, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The United States first declared the FARC a “terrorist” organization in October 1997.

After the demobilization of the group, FARC members entered politics, initially calling it the Revolutionary Alternative Commonwealth, retaining the acronym FARC. Later, they changed their name Common and the party leadership received 10 seats after the peace deal for the congress.