Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced Friday that the government will sign a peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Cartagena Sept. 26.
Colombia’s government and the country’s largest rebel group announced Aug. 24 a truce to end a 50-year guerrilla war, one of the world’s longest armed conflicts.
The federal government’s deal with FARC must be approved by voters before the accord is made official. Colombia would be required to implement aggressive land reforms, reform its anti-narcotics strategy and expand government efforts to help struggling, rural parts of the country.
President Obama congratulated Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos over the phone last week.
“The president recognized this historic day as a critical juncture in what will be a long process to fully implement a just and lasting peace agreement that can advance security and prosperity for the Colombian people,” the White House said. “The president noted that the U.S. was proud that it could stand with Colombia in supporting the pursuit of peace.”
The two sides have been in negotiations for four years. More than 220,000 people have died during the violence, and 5 million others have been forced out of their homes.
Obama pledged to continue U.S. support of Colombia through the “Peace Colombia” framework that was announced in February.
