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Colombia
Peace
Commissioner
Tells ICP of
ELN Talks,
FARC To Stop
Illicit Acts
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 19 --
Colombia will
be discussed
by the UN
Security
Council on
August 26, and
in the run-up
its High
Commissioner
for Peace
Sergio
Jaramillo
spoke with the
Press in
New York. In
the sit-down
portion, Inner
City Press
asked him
about
criticism of
the
accountability
provisions in
the
government's
deal with the
FARC, and of
the status of
talks with the
ELN.
Jaramillo said
the criticism
is
unrealistic;
they had to
negotiated
with the FARC,
and got them
to agree to
trials for
grave crimes
like rape and
other war
crimes. But
others get
softer
treatment.
Jaramillo said
implementation
will be the
key.
Jaramillo said
FARC has
agreed, no
illicit
activity to
fund their
organization.
The UN mission
would be
storing
weapons in
containers, as
it did for
example in
Nepal. But
would it have
any drug or
illicit
activity role?
On the
ELN, Jaramillo
said as long
as they hold
hostages,
talks cannot
proceed.
Colombia's
President
Santos will
speak at the
UN General
Assembly on
September 21;
there may be
an event for
bankers or
investment
bankers. Watch
this site.
On Colombia
back on March
11, even with
the deadline
for an
agreement
between the
government and
the FARC being
pushed back,
Germany's
Special Envoy
on Colombia
Tom Koenigs
spoke with the
Press.
He had, he
said, met with
UN Under
Secretaries
General
Feltman,
Mulet, Ladsous
and Khare,
about the
upcoming UN
mission to be
headed by
Frenchman Jean
Arnault. He
noted the
history of
cultural
exchange
between
Germany and
Colombia,"
saying that
"Germans read
a lot of
Garcia
Marquez."
Inner
City Press
asked Koenigs
about the cost
of the peace
process - and
how much
Germany would
contribute -
and about
impunity,
including in
relation to
the process,
such as it is,
in Sri Lanka.
Koenigs
among other
things said:
To Inner City
Press'
financial
question:
"Germany has
close
relations to
Colombia and
is ready to
support the
peace process
politically
and through
technical
cooperation in
a number of
areas. Loan of
300 million
Euros by
German KfW
Development
Bank. In
addition: 50
million in
technical and
development
cooperation,
plus
approximately
1 million EUR
per year for
bilateral
demining
programs.
Also: science
and technology
transfer
through
cooperation of
universities
in the two
countries."
To Inner City
Press'
impunity
question:
"Those
responsible
for war crimes
have to be
brought to
justice.
Colombia is
establishing a
transitional
justice system
and is also a
party to the
Rome Statute.
Impunity is
not an option.
However,
prisons are
not the only
possible
method of
corrections.
There may be
alternatives
which could be
explored."
Inner
City Press had
and has some
questions
about those
not part of
the FARC
negotiations
in Cuba - more
on that in
another story.
* * *
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are
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