MESETAS, Colombia (AP) – Leftist rebels in Colombia have turned over almost all of their fighters’ individual weapons as part of a historic peace deal reached with the government last year, the United Nations said in a statement Monday.
The UN said it had received 7,132 weapons belonging to fighters with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. A smaller number of weapons will remain in the hands of guerrillas for another month providing protection at 26 rural camps where the FARC’s 7,000 fighters are making their transition to civilian life.
The announcement comes a day before President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC’s top commander Timochenko are meeting in one of the rural camps to commemorate the completion of the disarmament process.
The rebels were supposed to have turned in all of their weapons by the end of May under the original terms of the peace deal signed last year to end Colombia’s long-running conflict, but there have been numerous delays.
The first year of implementing the peace deal has been behind schedule on everything from building demobilization zones to passing laws to implement the accords.