Colombia to hold peace talks with FARC aimed at ending 50-year conflict

[smurfy]

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19393096[/url]

[quote=BBC News][B]Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has confirmed his government will hold exploratory peace talks with the Farc rebel group, the Farc.[/B]

In an address broadcast on state TV, Mr Santos said he had fulfilled his "commitment to seek peace".

Media reports say the two sides have signed a deal in the Cuban capital, Havana, to begin talks in October.

The left-wing Farc rebels have been fighting the Colombian government for almost five decades.

Last August, the Farc leader at the time, Alfonso Cano, said the group was ready for peace negotiations.

Since then, rumours have circulated about secret meetings between government representatives and the rebels in the Cuban capital.

According to the regional media network Telesur the first round of talks would be held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on 5 October.

Negotiators would then continue holding talks in Havana, it added.

[B]Decades of conflict[/B]

Upon taking office just over two years ago, Mr Santos signalled his willingness to open peace talks.

He has come under severe criticism for this, from his predecessor, Alvaro Uribe.

The Farc also re-stated their openness to talks in a letter sent to a non-governmental organisation in March.

Following the death of Alfonso Cano in a bombing raid, Farc's new leader, known as Timochenko, said it was "worth betting on peace".

Colombian security forces have achieved a series of successes against the rebel group in the past years, killing some of its key leaders and arresting many others.

But in recent months, the rebels have stepped up their guerrilla campaign, bombing electricity pylons and bridges and disrupting key infrastructure.

Colombian security forces estimate that the rebels have some 8,000 guerrillas fighting Latin America's longest-running insurgency.[/quote]

[ratman_122]

This is a pretty big deal, hopefully they can come to an agreement that works for both parties.

[Haywood]

I hope the Colombian government and Drew Curtis can come up with some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement.