September 21, 2026 12:24 am (IST)
Follow us:
Ban welcomes start of peace talks between Colombia, rebels
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday welcomed the announced start of peace talks between the Government of Colombia and representatives of the National Liberation Army (ELN), and encouraged all parties to remain committed to the pursuit of peace in the country.
The Secretary-General hopes that this new development “will contribute to ending the hemisphere’s longest armed conflict and to building sustainable peace for the Colombian people,” his spokesperson said.
Tuesday ’s announcement follows a peace agreement between Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Some 600,000 people have died since the conflict between the country’s authorities and the FARC began in the 1960s.
In November, after talks in Havana, Cuba, authorities and FARC representatives released a joint statement saying a deal had been reached leading the rebel group to disarm and to form a political movement. It also included provisions for enhancing the role of women, which Ban also welcomed.
The two sides are working to end the long-running conflict through full implementation of the General Agreement for the End of the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, signed two years ago. In the past month, they also agreed to work together to combat drug trafficking.
(Internally displaced children, victims of conflict in Colombia. UN Photo/Mark Garten)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Italy PM Meloni announces big school plan: Burqa, hijab ban and cap on foreign students
Sun, Sep 20 2026
North Korea fires two missiles toward East Sea, South Korea confirms
Sun, Sep 20 2026
Houthis claim Saudi F-15 shot down as Mecca drone row escalates
Wed, Sep 16 2026