Two Dutch journalists have been abducted in Colombia in an area near the Venezuelan border. Derk Bolt and Eugenio Follender went missing at the weekend in Catatumbo, a region where several armed groups operate, including the left-wing ELN. They were searching for the mother of a Colombian child adopted in the Netherlands a few years … Read more
Colombia’s Farc rebel group has handed over a further 30% of its weapons to United Nations inspectors as part of the historic peace accord it signed last year. President Juan Manuel Santos said the gesture showed that the agreement with the rebels was going ahead as planned. The Farc have now decommissioned 60% of their … Read more
The peace deal with the FARC was the fruit of four years of negotiations in Cuba [File: John Vizcaino/Reuters] Colombia’s congress has approved a law that ratifies provisions of a peace agreement that permits the country’s largest leftist guerrilla group FARC to participate in politics. The senate voted 52-2 on Wednesday in favour of the … Read more
The gunmen forced the hostages into a boat and took them deep into the jungle The Colombian government has accused the country’s second-largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), of kidnapping eight people in an isolated region. The gunmen forced the hostages into a boat and took them deep into the jungle in the … Read more
An employee of the United Nations has been kidnapped by a dissident rebel faction in southern Colombia, marring a visit by UN Security Council ambassadors to show support for the South American nation’s recent peace deal. President Juan Manuel Santos’ administration said that the Colombian national was working on a crop substitution project in the … Read more
Members of the left-wing Colombian Farc rebel group opposed to last year’s historic peace agreement have killed a soldier in an attack in the south-east of the country, the army has said. It said that dissidents targeted an army vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Four other soldiers were wounded. The attack has been condemned … Read more
Ghana’s Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Chatham House Prize. According to the Director of Chatham House, Dr. Robin Niblett CMG, the nomination of Charlotte Osei was based on her admirable supervision of Ghana’s peaceful and transparent electoral process in December 2016. A statement from the organizers said, … Read more
Ghana’s Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Chatham House Prize. According to the Director of Chatham House, Dr. Robin Niblett CMG, the nomination of Charlotte Osei was based on her admirable supervision of Ghana’s peaceful and transparent electoral process in December 2016. A statement from the organizers said, … Read more
Colombia’s Farc rebel group has offered to help rebuild a town devastated by landslides that killed at least 254 people. But their involvement in efforts in Mocoa, in the country’s south-west, has to be approved by the government. Meanwhile, the search continues for residents who are still missing. More than 1,000 soldiers and police are … Read more
Colombian Vice President German Vargas Lleras resigned on Wednesday, a move widely expected to herald his push for the presidency next year even as he says he is undecided. President Juan Manuel Santos has nominated former national police chief General Oscar Naranjo as Vargas’ successor, stating he wants Naranjo to strengthen security and the drive … Read more
Haunted by indelibly painful memories, deprived of schooling and strangers to their own families — for former child soldiers returning to normal life is often as tough as being in combat. They face daily battles that can last years as they piece their lives together. “I had nightmares long after being freed. I had flashbacks … Read more
Families on Colombia’s border with Venezuela have been displaced by illegal groups trying to fill the vacuum left by the departure of Farc rebels, the UN says. Officials said 96 families in the northern region of Norte de Santander had fled their homes. Some crossed the border into Venezuela and others went to refuges in … Read more
Colombia’s government says it will sign a new peace accord with Farc rebels on Thursday, after a previous deal was rejected in a referendum last month. The new revised agreement will be submitted to Congress for approval, rather than put to a popular vote. But opposition groups say it still does not go far enough … Read more
Colombia’s government and the FARC rebel group will sign a peace deal, according to a joint statement announced Tuesday by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in a televised address. The revised peace accord will be signed Thursday and sent to Congress for approval. A peace deal negotiated earlier this year with FARC rebels was unexpectedly … Read more
The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed on Saturday a new peace agreement after days of negotiations in Havana, a possible lasting deal to end over 50 years of armed conflicts in the country. The joint statement read by the representatives of the guarantor countries, Cuba and Norway, announced that … Read more
The Colombian government and the Farc rebel group have announced a new peace agreement, six weeks after the original deal was rejected in a popular vote. The two sides, which have been holding talks in Cuba for four years, said the revised plan incorporated proposals from the opposition and others groups. The initial deal had … Read more
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the 52-year conflict with left-wing rebels. The Nobel committee in Norway praised him for his peace agreement with Farc rebels, signed last month after four years of negotiations. However, Colombians narrowly rejected the deal in a referendum last … Read more
Former Colombian President Alavaro Uribe has described the failed peace deal with leftist rebels as “weak” following a meeting with President Juan Manuel Santos. Mr Uribe, who led the campaign against the accord, said the deal had to be for everyone not half the population. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have held marches urging the … Read more
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has appointed a team of senior government officials to launch talks with the opposition on changes to a peace deal with the Farc rebel group. Mr Santos made the announcement after meeting with political party leaders. The peace deal was rejected by a narrow margin in a referendum on Sunday. … Read more
Voters in Colombia have rejected a landmark peace deal with Farc rebels in a shock referendum result, with 50.24% voting against it. The deal was signed last week by President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc leader Timoleon Jimenez after nearly four years of negotiations. But it needed to be ratified by Colombians in order to … Read more