Amid ongoing peace talks with Colombia’s government, leftist guerrilla group the FARC have announced they are on the verge of agreeing to a transitional justice agreement to change their status from armed organization to political movement.
This optimistic announcement from the peace delegation of the FARC includes exciting developments from the negotiating table in Havana on the subject of transitional justice.
The Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and no Repetition proposed in August is on the threshold of an agreement according to the FARC.
This system will offer Colombian citizens the whole truth of the conflict, publicly recognize the responsibilities of all sides involved and give compensation for the harm caused to victims. It will also obligate the State to end impunity and put measures in place to prevent the repetition of political violence.
The statement also included news that a consensus will very soon be reached on the subject of a bilateral ceasefire and the decommissioning of weapons.
The peace talks follow an agenda made up of six points which all must be agreed upon before the signing of the final peace deal. “Rural reform, political participation and illicit drugs” have already been signed off. According to the FARC’s statement they are close to reaching an agreement on the next point on the agenda, “victims,” seeing as they are confident the Comprehensive System will guarantee reparations for the victims of the conflict.
In the statement issued by the FARC they reiterated that this system of transitional justice will allow the dismantling of paramilitaries, a threat which must be removed if there is to be peace in Colombia.
Following these imminent developments the FARC are looking to be reincorporated in civilian life and are “ready to tackle and discuss the processes for the transition from an insurgent organization to an open political movement.”
The FARC emphasized the importance of the agenda point “end of conflict” which outlines the government’s duty to make necessary institutional reforms to confront the challenges of the building of peace. This agenda point will assure all other agreed agenda points are implemented.
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The peace delegation of the FARC concluded their statement with these words, “Peace is knocking on Colombia’s door and demands that armed conflict remains behind as the collective memory of something which must never be repeated, in such a way that we guarantee the future of peace and dignified life for new generations of Colombians.”
Peace talks between the FARC and the Colombian government have been taking place in Havana, Cuba since November 2012 in order to resolve the 50-year-long armed conflict which left 260,000 Colombians dead and 6 million displaced.