Arsenal handed over by FARC in Colombia destroyed

The United Nations Mission in Colombia confirmed it has destroyed the arsenal that once belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group.

The 8,994 pieces of weapons the rebels handed over as part of their peace agreement with the government are to be melted down to make three monuments to peace to be installed in Colombia, UN headquarters in New York, and Cuba, which hosted the negotiations.

"Today is a very important day... the process of laying down arms concludes," Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said at a ceremony in Bogota to mark this latest step in the peace process, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

"They handed me the last weapon, an AR-15 assault rifle ... and this rifle is now totally useless, as are all the weapons that were handed over in this process," said Santos.

At the UN grounds, the statue is to be placed next to the Rose Garden, said Santos, noting "the United Nations was created precisely to put an end to wars in the world.

"What is happening in Colombia is of immense satisfaction for the United Nations, because in a way it is fulfilling its commitment," said Santos.

In November of 2016, following four years of talks, the government and rebel group signed an agreement to put an end to 50 years of fighting.

As part of the peace deal, the FARC renounced violence and founded a political party to work within the system for change.

--IANS

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