Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC guerilla group are about to sign an historic peace treaty, formally ending a 52-year armed conflict that killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions.
Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Commander Rodrigo Londono, also known by his nom de guerre Timoshenko, will sign the 297-page agreement in a ceremony in the colonial city of Cartagena attended by world leaders including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Representatives for both sides finalised the deal on August 24 in Havana after nearly four years of negotiations.
The treaty includes provisions for political participation by the FARC and transitional justice for war crimes, as well as rural reforms and reintegration of demobilised guerillas into civilian life.
In the next half-year, about 8000 remaining FARC fighters will relocate to 23 designated regions of the country to turn over their arms in a process to be overseen by the United Nations.
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In order to take effect the peace accord must be approved in a national referendum to be held October 2. Recent polls show more than half of likely voters support the deal.
