The United Nations in Colombia said the international organization has retrieved 750 weapons caches from demobilized FARC guerrillas, leaving almost 250 to the security forces.
Until the end of its mission on Friday, the international organization had retrieved 750 of 988 weapons caches reported by the FARC, more than expected by the guerrillas themselves.
Because of the large number of weapons, the Colombian government and FARC leadership had asked the UN to extend the extraction mission that formally ended mid August.
FARC demobilization ends: 8,100 arms and 22000kg of explosives removed
According to last year’s peace deal between the state and the rebels, the military will receive the list of weapons caches still hidden in Colombia’s mountains and jungles.
The number of reported FARC caches has grown with more than a 100 new weapons caches being reported by guerrillas in the last month alone.
The volume of the former guerrillas’ weapons arsenal surprised even the FARC leadership.
Because guerrillas have continued to report arms until after the initial deadline, it is unclear how many weapons caches have yet to be reported.
Colombia’s turtle race for the FARC’s hidden arms caches
The retrieval has not been without problems as dissident FARC guerrillas and the rival EPL group have attacked UN officials trying to get to the weapons caches, according to Colombian authorities.
The retrieval of weapons caches is part of the FARC’s disarmament.
According to the UN, which has overseen this process, demobilizing guerrillas have surrendered more than 8,000 firearms after signing a peace deal with the government of President Juan Manuel Santos in November 2016.
Since then, what used to be Colombia’s largest and longest-living guerrilla group has become a political party and is expected to take part in the 2018 elections while having been granted 10 seats in Congress.
