Colombia, FARC deal on major issue

The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels have reached an agreement on the future of rebels in the country’s politics.

The accord, which was reached on Wednesday, was required to boost year-long peace talks between the two sides and the rebels’ political reintegration was one of the agenda points under negotiation.

Colombia’s government and FARC said in a joint statement, “We have reached fundamental agreement on the second point of the agenda.”

“This new democratic opening will clear the way for peace to definitely take root, once the conflict ends,” said the government’s chief negotiator Humberto de la Calle.

FARC’s senior negotiator Ivan Marquez also expressed optimism, saying, “The important aspects that we have agreed on so far in terms of political participation give Colombians the possibility of beginning to open the doors to a true democracy.”

“Still, there is a long way to go.”

The two sides have to reach agreement on three more issues, which are drug trafficking, compensation for victims, as well as disarmament in order to finalize a complete accord.

In May, the government and FARC agreed upon how to approach land reform and rural development, which was the first and the most controversial item on the agenda.

Talks between the two sides kicked off in Cuba’s capital, Havana, in November 2012. Norway and Cuba are guarantors of the talks.

FARC is Latin America’s oldest insurgent group and has been fighting the government since 1964.

Bogota estimates that 600,000 people have been killed, and some three million others have been internally displaced due to the fighting.

The rebel organization is thought to have around 8,000 fighters operating across a large swathe of the eastern jungles of the country.