UN Chief: Ex-FARC Rebels Need More Economic Opportunities

© REUTERS / Luisa GonzalezUnited Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press as he arrives in Colombia to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Bogota, Colombia November 22, 2021
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press as he arrives in Colombia to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Bogota, Colombia November 22, 2021 - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.11.2021
Subscribe
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Bogotá, Colombia, as part of a two-day trip to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Final Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group.
While visiting the province of Antioquia with Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez, the UN Secretary-General called for enhanced effort in expanding economic opportunities for former FARC rebels.

"We must redouble efforts to guarantee the sustainability of these projects, with financial and technical support, and land and housing," he said while touring a reintegration camp in the province, as reported by Reuters.

Some 13,000 FARC members were demobilized following the signing of the Final Peace Agreement in 2016.
The agreement also led to the halting of FARC's role in Colombia's long-term internal conflict, which led to the displacement of more than 1 million people and caused some 260,000 deaths.
Guterres also spoke out in support of the indigenous communities of Colombia, declaring that the UN stands with them "in the face of the violence that continues to affect their lives, their customs and their ancestral territories."
The secretary-general's remarks come alongside reports that US President Joe Biden's administration intends to remove FARC from its list of terrorist organizations.
Former rebel commanders and current members of the FARC political party, Pastor Alape, second from left, and Rodrigo Granda, far left with Colombian flag, arrive for a ceremony to apologize to locals for the kidnappings carried out by the FARC over decades in the rural area of Pipiral near Villavicencio, Colombia, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. Ex-combatants and social organizations plan to march to Bogota this weekend to demand the government guarantee their right to life and compliance with the 2016 peace agreement, amid hundreds of subsequent ex-rebel deaths. - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.11.2021
US State Dept. to Remove Colombia’s FARC From List of Terrorist Groups Five Years Since Legalization
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price did not confirm the intent to remove FARC from the list, but did tell reporters on Tuesday that the administration was in talks with Congress regarding forthcoming actions with FARC.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала