Havana peace talks fruitful
MONDAY, 27 MAY 2013
Peace negotiators for the Colombian government and the country’s largest rebel group said on Sunday (27th) that they had reached an agreement on a plan to reduce inequality in rural areas.
The deal was announced in Havana, where the two sides have been meeting in an attempt to end the long-running guerrilla war in Colombia. The agreement was seen as an encouraging step, though there are significant obstacles to be cleared before a comprehensive peace accord can be reached.
The agreement announced on Sunday calls for the government to distribute land to small farmers and undertake development projects that would improve education and infrastructure, among other measures. It will not take effect until a final peace agreement is reached. The deal took negotiators for the government and the rebels — the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC — six months to hammer out; the subject was expected to be one of the less contentious in the talks.
Now the two sides are to turn to thornier issues, including the question of how to clear the way for former guerrillas to participate in politics, how the rebels will be disarmed.
“What we have agreed to in this accord will be the start of radical transformations in Colombia’s rural and agrarian reality, with equality and democracy,” the negotiators said in a joint statement.
The concentration of landholdings in the hands of a small number of powerful owners has long been a problem in Colombia. The inability of small farmers to gain access to land led to the creation of the FARC in the 1960s.
President Juan Manuel Santos surprised Colombians last year by announcing his intention to negotiate peace with the FARC. Mr. Santos said that the talks must be completed this year and that he would not allow them to drag on indefinitely. He is expected to run for re-election next year.
Mr. Santos said in a Twitter message on Sunday, “We celebrate, truly, this fundamental step in Havana toward a full agreement to put an end to half a century of conflict.” The fighting has continued to simmer as the two sides talk.
Two more policemen get assaulted
MONDAY, 27 MAY 2013
Two policemen have been assaulted by youths at Nillakanda area at Bulathsinhala say reports.
The two policemen were attacked while riding a motorcycle when two factions of the youths in the area were having a fight. The two policemen have been admitted to Horana Hospital.
One youth has been arrested on suspicion and investigations are being conducted to arrest two more youths.
