HomeNewsBriefColombia Govt, ELN Sign Ceasefire Amid Growing Dissidence
BRIEF

Colombia Govt, ELN Sign Ceasefire Amid Growing Dissidence

COLOMBIA / 4 SEP 2017 BY MIKE LASUSA EN

The government of Colombia and the country's largest remaining guerrilla group have agreed to a bilateral ceasefire, but the rebels' lack of unity may make enforcement difficult.

On September 4, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (Ejército Nacional de Liberación - ELN) will begin on October 1, and last until January 12, 2018.

In addition to halting attacks on Colombian security forces, the ELN will also be expected to stop targeting civilians with kidnappings, destroying infrastructure, recruiting minors and laying down landmines. 

"The priority is to protect citizens," the president said.

For its part, the Colombian government has promised to suspend military operations against the group, to provide protection for social leaders who are being killed in large numbers, and to improve conditions for imprisoned guerrillas.

The announcement comes just days before a visit to Colombia by Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The church has backed the peace process between the government and the ELN's guerrilla counterparts, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC), who signed a peace deal last year. 

SEE ALSO: Coverage of FARC Peace

A joint statement published on Twitter says that the ceasefire will be monitored by a body backed by the Colombian government, the ELN, the United Nations and the Catholic Church.*

InSight Crime Analysis

Although the ELN has argued vehemently for a bilateral ceasefire as a measure that could build confidence in the peace negotiations, it has struggled to demonstrate that it can control its rank and file. Criminal activities by guerrillas -- particularly kidnapping -- could be considered violations of the ceasefire agreement, if they continue.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of ELN Peace

And even if a deal should eventually be reached, InSight Crime's reporting suggests that many members of the group may choose to defect from the peace process in order to continue engaging in lucrative illicit activities like drug trafficking and illegal mining.

It will be important for ELN negotiators to deliver more concrete advances like the ceasefire agreement in order to build confidence among the ranks about the viability of the negotiations. However, as the process with the FARC illustrated, the issue of post-peace criminalization is a crucial theme that must be addressed by both sides in order to mitigate the likelihood of dissidence. 

* This piece has been updated to include the document released by the Colombian government.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COCAINE / 28 APR 2022

The rapid expansion of FARC dissident groups has brought an end to a fleeting period of tranquility in Putumayo. Now,…

COLOMBIA / 24 MAR 2023

The end of a ceasefire with Colombia's largest criminal group, the AGC, is a serious body blow to hopes for…

COLOMBIA / 28 JUL 2023

Three cases in recent weeks highlight how Colombian groups continue to dominate loansharking schemes across Central and South America…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Contributes Expertise Across the Board 

22 SEP 2023

This week InSight Crime investigators Sara García and María Fernanda Ramírez led a discussion of the challenges posed by Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” plan within urban contexts. The…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in New Colombia Drug Policy Plan

15 SEP 2023

InSight Crime’s work on emerging coca cultivation in Honduras, Guatemala, and Venezuela was cited in the Colombian government’s…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Discusses Honduran Women's Prison Investigation

8 SEP 2023

Investigators Victoria Dittmar and María Fernanda Ramírez discussed InSight Crime’s recent investigation of a massacre in Honduras’ only women’s prison in a Twitter Spaces event on…

THE ORGANIZATION

Human Trafficking Investigation Published in Leading Mexican Newspaper

1 SEP 2023

Leading Mexican media outlet El Universal featured our most recent investigation, “The Geography of Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border,” on the front page of its August 30…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Coverage of Ecuador Leads International Debate

25 AUG 2023

This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador…