THE Government of Colombia and the guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Monday, 26th September signed a peace deal. The deal signed by President Juan Manuel Santos and leftist rebel leader Rodrigo Londoño aka Timochenko, comes after 52 years of hostility between the two sides based on various perceptions, one of which is, the latter’s feeling of exclusion from mainstream policies and decision-making.
Alienation can contribute to doubts and suspicions by those who considered themselves to be marginalised. In the specific case of FARC — which has its genesis in the communist party – it had attracted peasants and the poor to pick up arms and carry out a military struggle against the establishment. While it may have been the longest guerrilla war in Latin America against a government, it is synonymous with the wars currently being fought in the Middle East by those who consider they do not have a voice and are mistreated. War has its genesis in the resistance to domination and marginalisation.
With changing global outlooks to politics, where human rights are considered an important pillar in governance, such is bound to impact and influence the behaviour of leaders. On both sides of the political divide, in the changing landscape, persons are bound to step back and question the wisdom, acceptance and rejection of their actions, which would have been influencing factors. In recognition of the gravity of the problems in Colombia, the scars created on humankind and impact on relations, the deal has been given the blessing of the United Nations (UN) and the United States (U.S.). Witnessing the signing were UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, which symbolised support for effecting change through peaceful means. FARC, which is an organisation on the U.S. terrorist watch list, saw Kerry saying after the signing that the country would consider removing the group from the list.
The significance of the event was not lost on the hundreds of participants who attended the signing deal who were decked in white, a symbol of peace and a new beginning. In the streets, while some expressed cynicism and rejected the deal, there were tears of joy that the time has come to give peace a chance. This deal, which came with four years of hard work done mainly in Havana, Cuba, comes with concessions and forgiveness on both sides and requires commitment on the part of government, FARC, society and stakeholders, internal and external, to see it through.
Londoño, in moving forward committed, “Our only weapons will be our words.” In what can be considered a gesture to bring healing and provide leadership at this critical juncture, he went on to say, “In the name of the FARC I ask sincere forgiveness to all the victims of the conflict and for all the pain we may have caused in this war.”
Under the accord, FARC vowed to sever all ties with the drug trade, hand over all its weapons and convert into a political party. There will be the establishment of a special tribunal to try war-related crimes. It goes on to say that those who confess to their crimes against humanity will serve alternative sentences which do not entail jail time. Conversely, the government commits to widen opportunities, including the development of programmes and addressing gross inequalities in the country’s rural communities, which it admitted has been neglected, from which FARC formed its base.
On Monday, 3rd October, Colombians will go to the polls to express their approval or disapproval for the deal. At the time of writing, polling shows a majority will vote yes. As participants seek to implement the menu of measures, such could also be used by political leaders across the spectrum and in nations, to seek to avoid what happened in Colombia from occurring in their countries. The global refugee and migrant crises which were given priority attention at the just concluded UN General Assembly made spirited appeal to address conflicts of such nature that are forcing persons to flee from the land of their birth or fight back in resistance to domination and marginalisation. Monday’s deal is testimony that in spite of differences and past animosity, people can come together for their common good, i.e. survival, growth and development.