FARC Ceasefire

From the BBC:

"Colombia Farc: Ceasefire signed to end five decades of war"

The Colombian government and the Farc rebels have signed a historic ceasefire deal, bringing them closer to ending more than five decades of conflict. The announcement is seen as one of the last steps before a full peace deal is signed, which is expected within weeks. Colombia's president and the Farc leader shook hands in celebration. The longest-running insurgency in the Western Hemisphere left an estimated 220,000 people dead and almost seven million displaced. The announcement in Havana caps formal peace talks that started three years ago in the Cuban capital. Colombia's President, Juan Manuel Santos, has previously said he hopes to sign that accord by the end of July.

Thursday's announcement includes:

• A commitment that rebels will lay down arms within 180 days of a final peace deal
• The creation of temporary transition zones and camps for the estimated 7,000 rebels
• A provision that no civilians will be allowed to enter Farc camps, to guarantee rebel security
• A provision that UN monitors will receive all the group's weapons

"Let this be the last day of the war," Farc leader Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, said at the announcement. Both sides agreed to let the courts rule whether a popular vote can be held in Colombia to endorse the deal, which was a promise made by Mr Santos. The president said at the ceremony that this was a "historic day". "We have reached the end of 50 years of death, attacks and pain," he said. "This is the end of the armed conflict with the Farc." The announcement of the Farc ceasefire dominated the headlines of the online editions of the main Colombian newspapers and other media outlets. Both sides still need to establish how the peace deal in its entirety will be implemented, verified and approved. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and leaders of Latin American countries also attended the ceremony.

^ Many people outside of Colombia and South America probably have never heard of the FARC or the 50 years of violence, but today's announcement is a good thing that will hopefully allow Colombia to move forward and better the lives of their citizens. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36611952