FARC Rebels Prepare For Peace

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) founded in the mid-1960s, has continuously promised to fight on behalf of "peasants" in the struggle against what it saw as a wealthy and repressive state. At its peak in the 1990s, FARC controlled about a third of rural Colombia. It is the hemisphere’s longest-running revolution, and it may be in its decline.

For almost three years, top FARC commanders in Havana have been holding talks with the Colombian government to try to end the conflict. While the general outline of the talks’ agenda is public, negotiators from both sides keep the details of the agreements confidential. The Colombian public is informed of the latest changes through press conferences held by government representatives and FARC leaders. As negotiators try to strike a deal in the Cuban capital, the conflict in Colombia continues. 

In a country of deep-set inequalities and weak state presence, the conflict has played out on many fronts for 51 years. The people involved range from left-wing rebel groups (FARC being the oldest and largest), right-wing paramilitaries and state armed forces that have previously fought alongside the paramilitaries against rebels. 

Drug-related violence continues to be an incendiary element of the conflict, and the most common victims are usually civilians caught smack in the middle. Since the conflict began, 220,000 people have died, and upwards of 6 million have been forcibly displaced.

Negotiations have reached limited accord on rural development, the illegal drug trade, political participation for FARC and the establishment of a "truth commission", but certain issues stalled negotiations. That changed last week, when government and FARC negotiators announced that they reached an agreement on one of the pressing matters: how to hold perpetrators of grave human rights abuses accountable for their actions. It was a major development, although questions still remain.

With final peace agreements finally in sight, the rebels of FARC may have to start over and become civilians quicker than they thought.

Eryn Sanclemente

http://america.aljazeera.com/multimedia/2015/9/colombias-farc-rebels-prepare-for-peace.html