OSLO (Reuters) – The expansion of Colombia’s peace talks this week to include another group of dissident former FARC guerrillas boosts the chances of reducing violence from the country’s armed conflict, according to Norway, which is assisting the process.
Colombia’s government on Monday decreed a three-month ceasefire with Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest FARC offshoot, launching formal peace talks with the organisation to end its part in a nearly six-decade internal armed conflict.
The government of President Gustavo Petro, which is pushing for “total peace” with a plethora of armed groups, was already in talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and will seek peace with Segunda Marquetalia, another FARC dissident group.
Norway said in a statement on Friday that it commended the government and the EMC group for starting peace negotiations.
“It is positive that the peace process in Colombia extends to include negotiations with other armed groups,” Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide said.
“A peaceful solution to the conflict between the government and EMC-FARC would be an important contribution to reduce the violence that affects vulnerable groups in the conflict-ridden regions of the country,” he added.
Norway, which for decades has been involved in Colombian peace talks, said it had accepted the parties’ invitation as a guarantor country “for a peaceful solution for the good of Colombia’s civilians”.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Gareth Jones)
