Colombia’s government and guerrilla group EMC kicked off formal peace talks after signing a three-month ceasefire.
The ceremony in the town of Tibu was delayed more than a week because of a disagreement over the specifics of the ceasefire.
Government and guerrilla representatives formally opened negotiations after President Gustavo Petro ordered the military to cease all operations against the EMC.
The ceremony was attended by local community leaders, diplomats and representatives of the Catholic Church.
In a speech, Peace Commissioner Danilo Rueda said that the government and the EMC had agreed on “the beginning of the end of the war.”
The EMC is an illegal armed group that was founded by former FARC guerrillas in 2016 in opposition to a peace process that had been bartered by former President Juan Manuel Santos.
The ceasefire seeks to facilitate progress in the peace talks that have been promised by Petro and EMC commander “Ivan Mordisco” since August last year.
The three-month agreement between the guerrillas and the security forces includes specific points to protect the civilian population and bans the expansion of guerrilla-controlled territories.
The government agreed to a ceasefire with guerrilla group ELN earlier this year in an attempt to end decades of armed conflict that left more than 9 million victims.
As part of his “Total Peace” policy, Petro also promised talks with paramilitary groups and organized crime groups from the cities of Medellin and Buenaventura.
The EMC is estimated to have some 3,200 armed members and is active along the Pacific coast and the borders with Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador.
The guerrillas have yet to make their demands for peace public.
