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| Colombia: Farc declares unilateral truce at landmark talks | Colombia: Farc declares unilateral truce at landmark talks |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Colombia's left-wing Farc rebels have declared a unilateral two-month ceasefire as they start peace talks with government negotiators. | |
| The announcement was made by the Farc delegates in Cuba's capital Havana - the venue of the landmark talks. | The announcement was made by the Farc delegates in Cuba's capital Havana - the venue of the landmark talks. |
| The first face-to-face meeting is aimed at ending five decades of conflict in which some 600,000 people have died. | The first face-to-face meeting is aimed at ending five decades of conflict in which some 600,000 people have died. |
| The chief government negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, said it was a defining moment. | The chief government negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, said it was a defining moment. |
| Talks agenda | |
| Farc lead negotiator Ivan Marquez said the rebels would halt all attacks from midnight on Monday until 20 January. | |
| He said it was "a contribution made to strengthen the climate of understanding necessary so that the parties that are starting the dialogue achieve the purpose desired by all Colombians". | He said it was "a contribution made to strengthen the climate of understanding necessary so that the parties that are starting the dialogue achieve the purpose desired by all Colombians". |
| The government negotiators have so far made no comments on the Farc move. | The government negotiators have so far made no comments on the Farc move. |
| The negotiations in Havana are expected to focus initially on the issue of land reform in Colombia, as it was a major reason for the uprising that brought about the establishment of the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in the early 1960s. | The negotiations in Havana are expected to focus initially on the issue of land reform in Colombia, as it was a major reason for the uprising that brought about the establishment of the Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in the early 1960s. |
| Four other points will be discussed: the end of armed conflict; guarantees for the exercise of political opposition and citizen participation; drug trafficking; and the rights of the victims of the conflict. | Four other points will be discussed: the end of armed conflict; guarantees for the exercise of political opposition and citizen participation; drug trafficking; and the rights of the victims of the conflict. |
| Previous truce | |
| During the official launch of the talks in Norway last month, Farc rebels had called the government to agree a truce. | |
| But the Colombian government said at the time it would not repeat the mistakes of the past - a reference to the last peace efforts, which went on from 1999 to 2002. | |
| At the time, a huge area controlled by the left-wing rebels in the south of the country was demilitarised, which, according to critics, allowed them to rearm and weakened their will to seek a peace agreement. | |
| The Farc, who numbered 16,000 in 2001, are now thought to have some 8,000 fighters. |