Colombian government calls on FARC dissidents to respect peace signatories

The Office of the High Commissioner for Peace (OACP) of Colombia has stated that the key demand for initiating negotiations with the Central General Staff (EMC), the main dissident faction of the FARC, is the protection of the lives of peace signatories.

In a recent statement, the OACP emphasized that this demand is non-negotiable for any armed group seeking to contribute to lasting peace.

While the state is responsible for safeguarding the lives and ensuring the security of FARC peace agreement signatories, any act of violence against them is seen as a direct offense to the pursuit of peace.

Tragically, on Saturday, Rigoberto Mendoza, a peace signatory undergoing the reintegration process in San Vicente del Caguán, was murdered.

His body was found with a sign bearing references to the EMC front.

The OACP stressed the need for thorough investigations and appropriate sanctions by the authorities to identify the perpetrators behind this incident and the other 376 killings of former combatants.

With the peace negotiating table set to be established, it is anticipated that the parties involved will discuss and endorse a bilateral ceasefire.

The Colombian Government recently terminated the previous ceasefire, which had been in effect since January, following the partial suspension of the bilateral cessation of hostilities with the EMC a month and a half ago.

This decision was made in response to the killing of four indigenous minors who the Carolina Ramirez Front, a faction within the dissident group, forcibly recruited.