Kerry Holds Unprecedented Talks with Colombian Farc Rebels in Cuba

US Secretary of State John Kerry held an unprecedented meeting with leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) in Havana on Monday.

    The rebel group is on Washington’s list of international terrorist organizations. It has been engaged in peace talks with the Colombian government in Havana to end the South American country’s half-century of war.

    In closed-door meetings, Kerry first spoke with the members of the Colombian government team seeking a peace deal with Farc, Latin America’s oldest guerrilla group. He then met separately with rebel negotiators in the Laguito neighbourhood, where peace talks have been held since 2012.

    Kerry urged the Colombian government and the Farc to redouble their efforts to reach a peace accord. Humberto de la Calle, the head of the Colombian delegation, said the US had offered to help provide security during the disarmament process if a deal is signed.  "There were extraordinary concrete elements, for example, the United States' announcement of assistance regarding the security of people who disarm, which is a critical topic in the negotiations," he said. 

    Kerry had also offered to help in the removal of land mines, which Mr de la Calle described as "support in fiscal and monetary terms of investments that the post-conflict needs".     Kerry also met the Farc delegation led by their leader Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, but no details were released about the talks.

    The Farc delegation gave Kerry a book by the group's founder, Manuel Marulanda Velez. The talks between the two sides are currently centered on the sensitive issue of disarmament. 

    Agreement has been reached on four main areas: land reform, political participation, the illegal drug trade and transitional justice. US President Barack Obama has already nominated a special envoy, Bernie Aronson, to the talks and in February reaffirmed his commitment to ask the US Congress for $450 million to help with the post-conflict period after a deal is reached.

Source: QNA