The Colombian government and FARC rebels announced a key breakthrough in their nearly three-year peace talks Wednesday with the signing of a deal on justice for crimes committed during the five-decade conflict.

The deal includes the creation of special courts and a broad amnesty, though this will not cover "crimes against humanity, serious war crimes" and other offenses including kidnappings, extrajudicial executions and sexual abuse, said officials from Cuba and Norway, the guarantors in the talks.