The United Nations said Saturday it has overseen the destruction of the first cache of explosives of rebel group FARC that is currently demobilizing and disarming after signing peace with the government.
One of the FARC’s main former military commanders, Luis Antonio Losada, a.k.a. “Carlos Antonio Lozada,” joined the special UN bomb squad to the plains of Yari, Caqueta.
Only two weeks ago Yari was the location of the FARC’s 10th National Guerrilla Conference during which the group dissolved itself as an illegal armed group.
This weekend it was the site of the first destruction of the FARC’s vast number of bombs, mortars and landmines.
According to the UN, international bomb experts oversaw the controlled detonation of some 620 kilograms of explosives in a joint operation with the military and guerrillas.
As part of the FARC’s peace deal with the government, the rebels vowed to bring their handguns and rifles to demobilization camps where these weapons are temporarily stored in UN containers.
The guerrillas also surrendered a list of locations of where the group has been hiding explosives that will be destroyed one by one by the UN, which is responsible for the verification and monitoring of the FARC’s effective demobilization and disarmament.
A second container with explosives was surrendered to the UN, but the international body did not say how much explosive material was in it.
Colombia’s Peace Commissioner, Sergio Jaramillo, told press the container could have as much of two tons of explosives.
The state, until last week the FARC’s 52-year enemy, has taken a backseat in the FARC’s disarmament process, leaving this to a neutral third party.
The state will be involved in the logistics of the demobilization of FARC members and has already received a list of almost 6,000 guerrillas who are expected to demobilize.
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The entire DDR process should last 180 days after which the FARC’s arms will be out of the country and its members either taking part in reintegration processes or court cases.