--- title: "The Colombian people's historic choice" description: "After four years of peace talks, Colombia’s president and FARC signed a peace agreement this week. On Sunday 2 October, the Colombian people will vote “yes” or “no” to the agreement." url: "https://www.nrc.no/news/2016/september/colombians-historic-choice" language: "en" published: "2016-09-30T11:00:00Z" modified: "2016-09-30T11:39:21Z" --- Violence and armed conflict has been part of Colombian everyday life for generations. The picture was taken in 1998 in Barrancabermeja in Magdalena Medio. Photo: Jesús Abad. # The Colombian people's historic choice Thale Solnørdal Jenssen|Published 30. Sep 2016 [Colombia](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=41) [Internal displacement](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=156) [Protection](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=160) [War and conflict](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=308) This article was first published more than 10 years ago After four years of peace talks, Colombia’s president and FARC signed a peace agreement this week. On Sunday 2 October, the Colombian people will vote “yes” or “no” to the agreement. [More than 50 years of civil war](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2015/nr-4/colombias-bloody-history "https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2015/nr-4/colombias-bloody-history/") have cost over 220,000 people their lives and forced more than seven million people to flee their homes. Four years have now passed since the Colombian government and the country’s biggest guerrilla group, FARC, started peace negotiations and on Monday 26 September the parties signed the peace agreement. ### Yes or no Before the agreement is final, the Colombian people will also have their say. On Sunday 2 October, they will vote “yes” or “no” to the agreement that is supposed to bring a long awaited peace to the country. Is there a chance the people will say “no”? “The peace process has been ongoing for more than four years, the paragraphs have been thoroughly discussed and civil society has been involved all the way through. In addition, everyone has their eyes on Colombia. All of this gives the agreement greater legitimacy in the population, says Senior Adviser in the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Richard Skretteberg, who believes the referendum will result in a “yes” to the peace agreement. He stresses, however, that there are groups in Colombian society that are sceptical to the agreement, such as those on the right of the political spectrum, led by previous president Uribe. Also, there are groups that have profited from the war through criminal activities and by seizing land. “Parts of civil society have also reacted to the part of the agreement dealing with penalties for people who have committed serious war crimes, as they consider the penalties to be too low. Many will however say that these are necessary compromises and will vote “yes”, says Skretteberg. **Colombia peace process 2010-2016** The official peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC started with a meeting in Oslo, Norway in October 2012, and have since taken place in Havana, Cuba. Over the past four years, the negotiations have broken down on several occasions, but on 26 September 2016, the parties finally signed the peace agreement in Cartagena in Colombia. On Sunday 2 October, the Colombian people will vote "yes" or "no" to the agreement. **2010** When Juan Manuel Santos takes over as president in Colombia in August 2010, he states he wants to negotiate with FARC. **2011** January: Secret contact is established between FARC and the Colombian government. November: FARC leader since 2008, Alfonso Cano, is killed by Colombian army forces. The new FARC leader Timoleón Jiménez alias “Timochenko” makes it clear he is interested in pursuing the peace talks. **2012** February: Representatives of the Colombian government and FARC secretly begin informal talks in Havana, Cuba. August: Colombian government and FARC representatives meet in Havana along with facilitators from Norway and Cuba. They sign a general agreement for the termination of the conflict and building of a stable and long-lasting peace. September: President Santos and FARC announce the start of formal peace talks. President Santos rejects FARC’s call for a ceasefire. A poll finds that 77 percent of the Colombian population approve of the peace negotiations, but the National Indigenous Organisation of Colombia (ONIC) critisises the talks for lack of indigenous participation. October: Official peace talks start in Norway. The parties agree on five discussion points. November: Negotiatons begin in Havana. Measures taken to include civil society. **2013** January: FARC ends its two-month unilateral ceasefire. 26 May the Colombian government and FARC announce that they have reached a partial agreement on land and rural development, the first of five points on the agenda. November: The parties announce they have reached a partial agreement on the second agenda point: Political participation. Later that month, when a new round of talks begins in Havana, the topic on the agenda is: Solutions to the problem of illicit drugs. **2014** May: The negotiating parties reach a partial agreement on solutions to the problem of illegal drugs. August: The negotiators announce the creation of a historical commission on the conflict and its victims, with the purpose of drafting a report on the origins of the armed conflict, the causes of its long duration, and its impact on the civilian population. November: Following the capture of an army general by FARC, President Santos suspends the peace talks until the captives are released. Three days later, FARC agrees to release the general and those captured along with him. They are released 30 November. **2015** February: The accord on victims is on the agenda. Bernard Aronson is nominated US special envoy for the Colombian peace process. March: Agreement to begin humanitarian landmine removal projects to be conducted together with Norwegian People’s Aid. 10 March President Santos announces a one-month cessation of aerial bombings of FARC encampments. May: A Colombian police and air raid kills 27 FARC-members. Among the dead is Jairo Martínez, a supporting member of the FARC’s negotiating team. FARC declares an end to its five-month-old unilateral ceasefire and demands that the negotiating parties work separately. June: The negotiators announce an accord laying out the structure and mandate of a commission for clarification of the truth, coexistence, and non-repetition. 8 July FARC announces a one-month unilateral ceasefire. September: The negotiators announce they have reached a deal on issues of justice and reparations to victims. President Santos and FARC leader Timochenko say in a joint announcement that they have agreed on a formula for transitional justice for conflict-related crimes. The two sides also agree to sign a final deal by March 2016, and FARC commits to put down their weapons within 60 days after the broad pact is reached. With the deal on justice, the parties have reached agreement on four of the five points of negotiation. Still remaining is a deal on how the guerilla will demobilise. October: President Santos offers truce with FARC and bilateral ceasefire from 1 January 2016. November: FARC says its three months old unilateral ceasefire may be at risk because of a rise in military actions against its fighters. 15 December the parties agreed to ensure compensation and justice for victims of the conflict. **2016**March: The Colombian government and FARC delay the signing of the peace agreement because of disagreements. They aim to have an agreement ready by the end of 2016. The Colombian authorities announce they will start formal peace talks with the armed group ELN. 23 June the parties announce that they have reached an agreement on a mutual ceasefire. President Santos says the final peace agreement will be signed on 20 July. 24 August the parties announce that they have reached a final peace agreement. 26 September the parties sign the peace agreement in Cartagena in Colombia. 2 October the Colombian people will vote "yes" or "no" to the peace agreement. *Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), BBC, The Guardian, El País, University of Oslo, Bistandsaktuelt, Reuters* ### A new era for Colombia Norway has played an important role as facilitator in the peace talks and Dag Nylander at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been head of the Norwegian delegation since the official negotiations began in the autumn of 2012. “I think that the survivors of the conflict are very supportive of the peace agreement. Colombians have high expectations for what a peace agreement, when implemented, will mean for them. However, the polarisation is still evident only days before the referendum. A “yes” will mean that Colombia can take the step into a new era. The agreement will bring an end to more than 50 years of conflict with FARC and it is a good starting point from which to build a final peace and a fairer Colombia,” says Nylander. > The agreement will bring an end to more than 50 years of conflict with FARC and it is a starting point from which to build a final peace and a fairer Colombia. > > Dag Nylander, peace mediator in Colombia ### The road to peace The peace agreement contains several key elements to help secure peace and reconciliation. These include providing for economic and social development in rural areas and distribution of land; political participation for FARC and other rebel groups; actions to be taken in the fight against drug production and trade; and compensation for victims of war. A final element concerns the demobilisation of FARC and the overall implementation of the deal. “While we congratulate Colombia on this important step, we are also reminded that there is a long way to go. It is time to walk the talk. The affected population need to feel the immediate positive impacts. A failure to do so, on the other hand, would threaten the comprehensive progress already made,” said NRC’s country director in Colombia, Christian Visnes. ### Peace demands more than a signature A lasting peace will, however, demand more than the parties’ signature. Displaced people must have their land back, the security situation must improve and local authorities must be given resources to protect and find lasting solutions for those who are displaced and other vulnerable groups. “A peace agreement with FARC will result in a less violent Colombian society, but it is obvious that you do not go from war one day to peace the next after 52 years of conflict,” says Skretteberg. The reintegration of FARC into Colombian society is important. If this does not succeed, there is a risk they will be recruited to criminal groups or to ELN, the second largest rebel group in the country, which has not yet signed a peace agreement. “There are still several paramilitary groups which continue to commit crimes and the government has a big responsibility to dissolve these groups, says Skretteberg. **Parties to the conflict** **CIVIL WAR:** The Colombian authorities are in conflict with FARC and ELN, leftist guerilla groups controlling big areas in the country. The civil war between government troops and the guerrilla started in 1964, and continue to this day. More than 220,000 people have lost their lives to the conflict, and millions have lost their homes. **THE GOVERNMENT:** Juan Manuel Santos was elected president in June 2010. Shortly after, he initiated negotiations with FARC. The official peace talks started in October 2012 and 26 September 2016 the parties signed the peace agreement. On Sunday 2 October 2016 the Colombian people will vote yes or no to the agreement. **FARC:** Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) is a leftist guerilla group established in Colombia in 1964, fighting for a change of regime and more democratic governance in the country. **ELN:** Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) is a leftist guerilla group that has been in conflict with the authorities since its establisment in 1965. The day after FARC and the Colombian government signed the peace agreement, ELN announced they were ready to start official negotiations with the Colombian government. **PARAMILITARY GROUPS:** In the 1980s, the Colombian land owners and drug cartels established paramilitary groups to fight the guerilla and the political left. In 1997, they united in one force called The United Self-defence Forces of Colombia (AUC). In 2003, AUC laid down their weapons in exchange for reduced punishment for those proved guilty of violations. Despite this, many former paramilitary have continued their criminal activities, closely related to production and trade of narcotics. According to the government, these groups represent the biggest threat against security in the country. **USA:** The US has been strongly involved in Colombian politics, with major focus on the drug problem. Colombia is one of the main suppliers of illegal drugs cannabis (marihuana) and cocaine to the United States. US interests in Colombia were given a new dimension after the Al-Qaeda terror attacks on 11 September 2001. US then put both FARC and ELN on the list of terrorist organisations, and defined the struggle against them as part of the worldwide "war on terror". *United Nations Association of Norway, BBC* ### It is about the land The question many are asking, is whether a final peace agreement will make it possible for those displaced to return to their homes and if the humanitarian problems will eventually be solved. “The core of the conflict is [the fight about land](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2015/nr-4/taking-back-the-land "https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2015/nr-4/taking-back-the-land/"), says Skretteberg, so the work to create lasting solutions for refugees and internally displaced Colombians through return of land is extremely important. > The work to create lasting solutions for refugees and internally displaced Colombians is extremely important. This goes straight to the core of the conflict, which is the fight about land. > > Richard Skretteberg, seniorrådgiver i Flyktninghjelpen ### International support For the peace process to succeed, the UN, the EU and the governments of many countries must support it, both financially and politically. To be able to implement the points in the agreement, the Colombian government will have to spend resources equivalent to the country’s annual gross national product. “The international society needs to engage positively on the financial side. There is a need for significant resources in order to give back land to several million people, while at the same time boosting agricultural production to reduce poverty among the survivors of the conflict,” says Skretteberg. Political support to the peace project will be decisive to avoid compromising the peace. “Even if the people vote “yes”, building peace will take time. If Colombia fails to reintegrate FARC members into society, if threats from paramilitary groups increase or if the government does not manage to make an agreement with ELN, the peace process will be at risk. This is why the international society has to contribute to isolating those political forces attempting to sabotage the peace process,” says Skretteberg. ### NRC in Colombia The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) [has assisted Colombians displaced by conflict since 1991.](https://www.nrc.no/countries/south-america/old-versions/colombia2 "https://www.nrc.no/countries/south-america/colombia/") There are still enormous humanitarian needs among millions of displaced people in the country. NRC urges donors not to hold back support during this fragile phase. The work of building peace needs to start immediately. Its success will depend not only on the commitment of the negotiating parties, but also on support from the international community. As an international organisation, our commitment will continue to seek to complement and support state efforts.