December 15, 2024 04:10 (IST)
Ban welcomes start of peace talks between Colombia, rebels
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday welcomed the announced start of peace talks between the Government of Colombia and representatives of the National Liberation Army (ELN), and encouraged all parties to remain committed to the pursuit of peace in the country.
The Secretary-General hopes that this new development “will contribute to ending the hemisphere’s longest armed conflict and to building sustainable peace for the Colombian people,” his spokesperson said.
Tuesday ’s announcement follows a peace agreement between Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Some 600,000 people have died since the conflict between the country’s authorities and the FARC began in the 1960s.
In November, after talks in Havana, Cuba, authorities and FARC representatives released a joint statement saying a deal had been reached leading the rebel group to disarm and to form a political movement. It also included provisions for enhancing the role of women, which Ban also welcomed.
The two sides are working to end the long-running conflict through full implementation of the General Agreement for the End of the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, signed two years ago. In the past month, they also agreed to work together to combat drug trafficking.
(Internally displaced children, victims of conflict in Colombia. UN Photo/Mark Garten)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Fashion chain Mango's founder Isak Andic, 71, dies in accident
Sat, Dec 14 2024
South Korea: Parliament votes to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over imposition of martial law
Sat, Dec 14 2024
UN experts call on Iran to repeal strict new hijab law
Fri, Dec 13 2024
French President Macron appoints centrist leader Francois Bayrou as new Prime Minister
Fri, Dec 13 2024
New UNESCO data shows 68 journalists were killed in 2024
Thu, Dec 12 2024
Syria rebels torch tomb of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's father
Thu, Dec 12 2024
US, Israel masterminded collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, claims Iranian leader Khamenei
Wed, Dec 11 2024
South Korea's marital law crisis: Ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun tries to commit suicide
Wed, Dec 11 2024
Middle East conflict: Israel carries out 480 strikes on military assets in Syria in past 48 hours since Assad's regime toppled
Tue, Dec 10 2024
Syrian rebels take control over Deir Ezzor
Tue, Dec 10 2024