Federica Mogherini
(BRUSSELS) – The European Union suspended sanctions against the FARC guerrilla movement Tuesday, following the Colombian government’s signing of a peace agreement with FARC a day earlier.
The ‘Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’ was also removed from the EU’s terrorist list, which established a list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts and subject to restrictive measures.
The signing of the peace deal on Monday in Cartagena between the Colombian government and the FARC brings to an end more than 50 years of armed conflict.
Colombia’s President Santos and the leader of FARC Rodrigo Londoño, who signed the historic agreement, were praised by the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini for turning the page after the 50-year long conflict: “They are giving Colombia the chance to start anew, and they are sending a message of hope to the rest of the globe”, she said.
A few days earlier in new York, Ms Mogherini had received the text of the peace agreement from the hands of President Santos.
Colombians will vote on the peace deal this Sunday. Saying ‘yes’ to peace would, said Ms Mogherini, “send a positive message through your continent and the entire world. It would send a message of reconciliation. It would send the message that all conflicts can come to an end, when we all contribute to making peace possible.”
She said the EU would lend its support to the post-conflict program. It is also ready to help Colombia “reap the economic dividend of peace”, with a European Trust Fund of almost 600 million euros.
The European Parliament this week sends a delegation of MEPs to Colombia to accompany and monitor its referendum on the peace agreement. MEPs have said they “expect and hope” that Colombian voters will back the peace agreement reached by Colombia’s government and the FARC.
