On Saturday, the Colombian armed group Comuneros del Sur (Commoners of the South) joined President Gustavo Petro’s administration in handing over war materiel and signed two agreements. Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez called this a historic moment and informed that the group has handed over land mines, grenades, and rockets for destruction in the past two days. The group’s leader, Royer Garzon, stated that armed fighting is obsolete and they refused to return to war. This move allows for the disarmament and reintegration into civilian life of approximately 300 Comuneros del Sur rebels.

In May, the Comuneros del Sur declared their separation from the 6,000-fighter National Liberation Army (ELN), which still fights the Colombian government. Their decision to negotiate peace with the Petro administration angered the ELN leadership and stalled their negotiations with the government.

In 2016, Colombia made a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), where over 13,000 fighters laid down their arms. However, the FARC’s withdrawal created a power vacuum that smaller groups aim to fill. As a result, President Petro’s administration has held peace talks with different rebel groups and drug trafficking gangs under a strategy called “total peace”. Unfortunately, most negotiations have failed to decrease violence, and only the Comuneros del Sur have agreed to transition to civilian life.

The Colombian government is now struggling to ensure security in remote rural areas as various groups fight over drug trafficking routes and natural resources.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/colombia-rebel-group-begins-handing-over-arms-to-government/a-72151906?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf