Colombia halts air strikes on Farc camps after rebels declare ceasefire
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Version 0 of 1. Colombia’s government is suspending aerial bombings of guerrilla camps in a bid to de-escalate fighting and breathe new life into struggling peace talks. President Juan Manuel Santos made the announcement on Saturday night at a military ceremony in Cartagena, saying the confidence-building move was in response to the decision by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc – Colombia’s most powerful leftist rebel group) to declare a unilateral ceasefire. Farc leaders said on 20 July they were resuming a unilateral truce the rebels had suspended two months earlier following an army bombing of one of their camps that left 26 people dead. That raid in turn followed a series of deadly attacks by the Farc, including a nighttime attack on an army platoon that killed 10 soldiers while they were asleep. Related: Farc rebels announce unilateral truce in attempt to rescue Colombia peace talks In March, Santos made a similar gamble, banning one of the military’s most-successful tactics in its fight against the rebels in recognition of progress being made at the peace table. However, since then, mistrust on both sides has grown as fighting has intensified. For the first time since peace talks began nearly three years ago, polls show that more Colombians favour a military solution to the conflict than a negotiated settlement. Reflecting some of the cynicism this time around, Santos said that the ban on aerial bombings could be lifted if Farc camps pose a risk to civilians or infrastructure targets. Nonetheless, he tried to frame his move as a bid to accelerate talks after both sides agreed to seek a bilateral ceasefire in the coming months even before a final peace deal is reached. “We’ve agreed to de-escalate the conflict,” Santos said. “That means fewer deaths, less suffering and fewer victims.” The government and the Farc have already reached agreements on land reform, participation in politics for former rebels and a joint strategy to curb drug trafficking. They’ve also announced a joint effort to remove unexploded landmines. But several tough issues remain, the thorniest of which is the rebel negotiators’ demand that they avoid any jail time for atrocities allegedly committed by troops under their command. |