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October 30th, 2015 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : The Colombian government and the FARC-EP agreed on the implementation of a bilateral ceasefire as one additional step towards ending the more than five decades-long civil war in the country. The ceasefire may come into effect on December 16, before the 2015 Christmas holidays, or on January 1, 2016.
On Thursday the peace delegations of the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP) agreed to reach a bilateral ceasefire by December 16 or January 1 even though there still remain a number of contentious and difficult issues to be resolved.
The Colombian government and the FARC-EP have held peace talks in the Cuban capital Havana since 2012 and reached a number of landmark agreements. These include, an agreement on land-reform, an agreement on political participation including the transformation of the FARC-EP into a political party after the final cessation of hostilities, an agreement on illicit drugs as well as an agreement on compensation for the victims of the civil war.
The FARC-EP has repeatedly asked for a bilateral ceasefire and implemented several unilateral cease fires since 2012.
The peace delegates for the Colombian government suggested that the ceasefire should come into effect on January 1, 2016. The date was challenged by FARC delegate Rodrigo Granda who used his Twitter account, stating:
“Christmas without fear. When you want to do something, do it in the best moment. The Christmas bonuses will begin December 16. Why wait for Jan. 1?
Earlier this month Colombian President Manuel Santos shook hands with FARC leader Timochenko in Havana. Both had gotten a helping hand or two from Cuban President Raul Castro. (Justice for Colombia).
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos responded immediately and positively to the suggested earlier date. He noted, however, that this would place a lot of pressure on the FARC-EP to demobilize before the end of 2015.
Santos’ statement was widely interpreted as a show of understanding for the difficulties faced by the FARC-EP that has some 8,000 fighters dispersed throughout much of the country, many if not most of them in small combat units.
One of the points that creates justified mistrust among FARC delegates and militants is the Colombian government’s demand that the FARC-EP should concentrate its forces in demobilized areas where the FARC-EP soldiers would relinquish their weapons and be registered.
Besides the need for trust between the government and the guerrilla, this measure does make FARC-EP fighters and especially disarmed FARC- fighters vulnerable to attacks from Colombia’s ultra-right wing paramilitary organizations. It also makes the population in rural districts controlled by the FARC-EP vulnerable to attacks from ultra-right death squads. President Santos expressed his awareness about these issues in a Tweet, stating:
“Why not December 16? We’re ready to go. However, it is important to have all of the points ready, negotiated, examined before the ceasefire can really occur. Because for example, if (FARC-EP) don’t concentrate then we can’t administrate the ceasefire with effectiveness because there are other elements of violence or groups.”
Achieving a lasting and solid bilateral ceasefire by Christmas does have an important symbolic value in the predominantly Catholic Christian country, even though both sides are aware of the fact that reaching a final, just and lasting peace after more than five decades of civil war is a colossal challenge that will suffer setbacks even though both sides are genuinely interested in achieving peace.
CH/L – nsnbc 30.10.2015
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2015/10/30/colombian-government-and-farc-agree-on-bilateral-ceasefire/
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