BOGOTA, Colombia — A permanent cease-fire took effect in Colombia on Monday, a key step in bringing an end to 52 years of war between the government and the country’s largest rebel group.
The commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia announced Sunday that his fighters would cease hostilities beginning at 12:01 a.m. as a result of the peace accord the two sides reached last week.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos made a similar announcement Friday, saying the military would halt attacks on the rebels beginning Monday.
Revolutionary Armed Forces leader Rodrigo Londono, also known as Timochenko, made his announcement in Havana, where rebel and government negotiators talked for four years to reach the deal on ending the long-running conflicts.
“Never again will parents be burying their sons and daughters killed in the war,” Londono said. “All rivalries and grudges will remain in the past.”
Colombia is expected to hold a national referendum Oct. 2 to give voters the chance to approve the accord, which would end political violence that has claimed more than 220,000 lives and driven more than 5 million people from their homes over five decades. Polls say most Colombians loathe the rebel group but will likely endorse the deal anyway.