Representatives of the Colombian government and the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Army of Colombia (FARC) signed an agreement on reparations for victims of armed conflict on Tuesday. This is another major step toward reaching a deal to end the world's longest-running civil war. The Colombian government has been involved in peace talks with the FARC, the country's largest rebel group, since Nov. 19, 2012, as outlined by Colombia Reports.
This is the fourth major negotiation between the parties since the peace talks began in Havana, Cuba. The other agreements involved rural development and land issues, drug trafficking and the political participation of the FARC, according to TeleSUR.
The agreement will establish a truth commission in order to clarify and acknowledge what occurred through the 50 years of war. It also promises to investigate cases of thousands of missing people, and to safeguard those who have been impacted by the conflict from re-victimization.
This past September, Colombia's government and the FARC reached a pivotal agreement to institute special tribunals for former combatants. Using neutral judges, these courts will reduce sentences for those who admit guilt, but the deal promises to bring due justice to those who have been responsible for war-related crimes against humanity, explained the Guardian.
This new court system has been controversial in Colombia, with fears the FARC could elude proper punishment for the violent conflict that has killed over 220,000 people and displaced millions since 1964, according to the BBC.
In a joint statement, the parties declared, "We hope the implementation of these and all of the accords will ensure dignity for the victims, do justice, and lay the foundation for ending the violence of the conflict in our country once and for all."
The peace talks will resume in January, with the parties aiming to sign the final agreement by March 23, 2016.
