Colombian Senator: FARC-EP Disarmament Unprecedented

Bogota, Feb 1 (Prensa Latina) Colombian senator Ivan Cepeda has described as unprecedented the massive arrival of the FARC-EP, the country's largest guerrilla group, to the transition points and zones to put down weapons, displacement that continue today.

Speaking to the 'Semana en Vivo' program, the congressman stated that the transfer of this group -in demobilization phase- to stages of 14 departments is the result of a long negotiation period and demonstrates the strict compliance of the acquired commitments.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) have passed all tests and are arriving in the places where the adaptation works have been making progress, also to others in which there is no water or electricity; in most cases the guerrillas are undertaking works to turn them into habitable zones, he insisted.

According to Sergio Jaramillo, High Commissioner for Peace, he should be in the transition points and zones -the latter smaller than the former- about 6,300 members of the rebel group to disarm and prepare for reintegration into civilian life.

The movements of troops began on Saturday, January 28th, from the pregroup stages to the 26 transition points and areas with accompanying observers of the tripartite supervisory mechanism.

This group is made up of spokesmen of the government, FARC-EP and a political mission coordinated and funded by the United Nations.

President Juan Manuel Santos and Timoleon Jimenez, top leader of that organization, signed on November 24th the definitive agreement to end the long confrontation between both parties.

The challenge now is to implement everything agreed to ensure the success of the so-called post-conflict.