After the historic announcement on August 24 that negotiations have concluded in the Colombian peace process between the Colombian government and the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), here are the five key points that have been agreed on.
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1. End of violence
A bilateral cease-fire has been signed, which agreed that FARC guerrillas will hand in all weapons to the United Nations.
2. Protection of victims' rights
There have been more than 220,000 victims in Colombia's five-decade-long conflict, and more than 6 million internally displaced. According to the agreement, a Peace Tribunal will be set up to ensure their right to justice, truth, and to ensure that the war is never repeated.
This point has been referred to as “transitional justice”. According to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, “there will be no impunity”.
3. Land restitution
Violence has been rife in the Colombian countryside. This point sets up a fund for land to be distributed to those displaced by the conflict.
4. Reintegration of FARC
For peace to be sustainable, armed members of the FARC will be reintegrated into society, and the FARC will become a political movement that will participate in elections in 2018. Beforehand, non-voting representatives will be immediately incorporated into Colombia's House of Representatives.
5. Combating narco-trafficking
Both the government and the FARC have agreed to cooperate in efforts to eradicate drug trafficking, which has played a role in fuelling the conflict.
[Reprinted from TeleSUR English (archived by Internet Archive).]