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Colombia, Marxist Rebels to Sign Deal Ending War by March

  • FARC rebels agree to lay down weapons within 60 days of deal
  • Colombian peace talks in Havana have dragged on since 2012
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the head of the FARC guerrilla Timoleon Jimenez shake hands in front of Cuban President Raul Castro during a meeting in Havana on September 23.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the head of the FARC guerrilla Timoleon Jimenez shake hands in front of Cuban President Raul Castro during a meeting in Havana on September 23.

Photographer: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
Updated on

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the leader of the nation’s Marxist guerrillas shook hands as the two sides agreed to sign a peace deal within six months, and the rebels agreed to then lay down their weapons.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, will start to disarm within 60 days of the peace deal being signed, the parties said in a joint press conference in Havana, where peace talks are taking place. Negotiators set a deadline of March 23, 2016, to wrap up the talks and sign.