The Security Council unanimously approved this Wednesday the extension of the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, which will make it possible to verify compliance with thethe government’s bilateral ceasefire with the ELN.
In a rare unit in this UN forum, the 15 members voted in favor of extending that mandate, which is charged with overseeing compliance with the peace agreements signed in 2016 with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Also read: “It will depend more on them than on us”: Gustavo Petro on the ceasefire with the ELN
Ceasefire with the ELN
The ceasefire between the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), concluded on June 9 for an initial period of six months, enters into force this Thursday, August 3.
For its part, Brazil expressed its full support for the strategy of the government of President Gustavo Petro to achieve Total Peace in Colombia, recognizing the need for the different dialogues in which progress is being made.
“As a guarantor country, Brazil welcomes the decision of the Council to authorize the Mission to verify the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with the National Liberation Army. In addition, we hope that an agreement will be reached as soon as possible with the Central General Staff group, with verifiable protocols”, assured the representative of this country.
However, the mission to verify the ceasefire with the Central Staff of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (EMC FARC-EP) was left out of the extension of the mandate, despite the fact that the Government announced the Last July 9 an agreement was reached to establish a dialogue table with this dissident group.
It will be done when the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, “confirms that a ceasefire has been reached that includes appropriate verification protocols» with the armed group, according to the text of the resolution.
The decision of the Security Council responds to the request sent to the body on February 14 by the Colombian Foreign Minister, Álvaro Leyva, in the framework of the dialogue with the armed groups that operate in the country promoted by President Gustavo Petro with his “total peace” policy.
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In a letter to the Security Council, dated June 13, the Secretary General proposed two options to expand the verification mission in the country, currently made up of 120 observers.
One of the options was for the mission to participate in monitoring and verifying the ceasefires of the (ELN) and the dissident group EMC FARC-EP, which would require 95 more observers.
The other was for the mission to participate in monitoring the truces with all the groups identified by the government, which would require an additional 130 observers.
The text authorizes sending 68 international observersas well as an “adequate civilian component, taking into account existing resources to the extent possible.”
The Council had already temporarily extended the mandate of the verification mission to monitor compliance with the ceasefire between the Government and the ELN on October 6, 2017, which ended without agreement in August of the following year.
In the last quarterly control meeting of the Security Council of the Verification Mission of the Colombian Peace Accords, held on July 12 in New York, The head of the mission, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, warned of the increase in violence against ex-combatants who laid down their arms and against peasant leaders and land applicants, and asked the government to protect these groups.
? #Attention Today, the UN Security Council unanimously approved the extension of the Mandate of @MissionONUCol to verify the implementation of the Ceasefire between the Government of ?? and the ELN, through Resolution 2694 of 2/August/2023. ? pic.twitter.com/oDzY7Kjojh
— UN Mission in Colombia (@MisionONUCol) August 2, 2023
With information from AFP.
