In early March the government of President Juan Manuel Santos took two major practical steps towards the cessation of hostilities: an agreement with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) guerrillas to act jointly in a countrywide mine clearance drive, and a unilateral undertaking by the government to suspend the bombing of Farc targets. These are the fourth and fifth big steps towards the ‘de-escalation’ of the conflict — the other three having been the Farc’s decision to stop recruiting under-17s to its ranks of fighters, its December announcement of an indefinite unilateral ceasefire, and the government’s 5 March posting of five senior military officers (four generals and an admiral) to the technical Subcomisión Fin del Conflicto (End of Conflict Subcommittee).End of preview - This article contains approximately 1107 words.
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