Representatives
from the Colombian government and the leftist FARC rebel group have arrived in
Oslo, where they'll try to negotiate an end to an armed conflict lasting half a
century.
The talks
in Norway, which along with Cuba is acting as a mediator in the peace process,
will be the fourth time the two sides have tried to seek a negotiated
settlement, and the first talks in a decade.
The
Norwegian Foreign Ministry said both parties were taken through a VIP section
of Oslo airport, to an undisclosed location for meetings on Wednesday and
Thursday.
It is
believed the Colombian government and FARC have held secret talks in Cuba since
February, in which the groundwork for these negotiations were set out.
The talks
are expected to cover the laying down of arms, rural development, narcotics
trafficking, victims' rights, and various guarantees for the opposition.
The
guerrillas originally formed to demand what they viewed as a just distribution
of Colombian land. Originally, a number of Colombians supported the guerrilla
fighters' demands. But, as the war drags on, the number of civilian victims has
increased and there is growing support for an end to the fighting.
jr/rc (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
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