Colombia’s government has announced the names of ten officials who are set to discuss a bilateral ceasefire on Friday with the country’s largest rebel group, the FARC, in Havana, Cuba.
Following Thursday’s announcement that the deputy commander of the armed forces, Javier Florez, would lead the sub-committee aimed to discuss a bilateral ceasefire and demobilization of the FARC, President Juan Manuel Santos revealed the names of ten military personnel that will form the group on Friday.
Seven members of the sub-committee consist of high-ranking military personnel, and three are representatives of the Colombian government.
MORE: Deputy commander of Colombia’s armed forces will lead ceasefire talks
The sub-committee consists of:
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General Javier Alberto Florez
Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces
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Colonel Vicente Sarmiento
National Army of Colombia
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Colonel Saul Rojas
National Army of Colombia
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Admiral Omar Cortez
Colombian Navy
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Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Chavarro
National Police
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Rodrigo Mezu
Colombian Air Force
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Lieutenant Juanita Millan
Colombian Navy
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Monica Cifuentes
Legal Director
Office of the High Commissioner for Peace -
Cesar Restrepo
Director
Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Defense -
Alejandro Reyes Lozano
Advisor
Office of High Commissioner for Peace
The sub-committee is headed by General Jorge Enrique Mora Rangel and General Oscar Adolfo Naranjo Trujillo. Both officials have been authorized by the Colombian government to negotiate with the FARC.
The ceasefire sub-committee
The sub-committee aims to initiate discussions concerning different options and models for the surrender of arms, demobilization, and eventual ceasefire that would be implemented in the event of a final agreement.
While the group is able to negotiate with the FARC, they are not allowed to make any final agreements. According to the press release from President Santos’ office, all decisions towards reaching an agreement “remain under the responsibility of the plenipotentiaries, on the instructions of President Juan Manuel Santos.”
Peace talks between the FARC and the Colombian government have been ongoing since November 2012. So far, both parties have come to agreements on the topics of agrarian land reform, political participation, and illicit drugs. They are currently discussing reparations for the victims of the armed conflict, with demobilization and an overall peace deal to be discussed in the future.
The sub-committee will work in parallel with the government and the FARC’s negotiation team while currently discussing reparations for the victims of Colombia’s 50-year armed conflict.
Sources
- Comunicado de la Delegación del Gobierno de Colombia (Office of the Presidency)