BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian armed group Segunda Marquetalia agreed to a unilateral ceasefire on Sunday after several days of peace talks in Caracas, part of the presidential Gustavo Petro‘s efforts to end 60 years of unrest in his country.
The unilateral ceasefire marks a step toward finally achieving peace in the South American country and reducing the violence that has long plagued the country.
The Segunda Marquetalia is a dissident faction of the now demobilized rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Its leaders initially agreed to a peace deal in 2016, but returned to arms three years later after failing to fulfill their promises.
The Colombian government announced the agreement, saying the guerrilla group agreed to extradite hostages and respect the lives of Colombian citizens and officials in areas of the country where the group continues to have a presence.
The ceasefire will come into effect once a presidential decree is issued to “de-escalate offensive operations,” the government said in a statement. The Colombian government added that a meeting will be held no later than July 20 to present a “de-escalation agreement.”
The government’s chief negotiator, Armando Novoa, told Reuters in mid-June that Colombia hopes to sign a peace deal with the Segunda Marquetalia and begin implementing it before the leftist Petro party steps down as president in just over two years.
Colombia is holding separate talks with the National Liberation Army rebels and the armed group Estado Mayor Central, another former FARC faction that never signed the 2016 deal and most of whose units have rejected any dialogue.
(Reporting by Oliver Griffin and Adriana Barrera, writing by Laura Gottesdiener; editing by Diane Craft)
