In announcing the unilateral ceasefire, the Farc said that it would only endure for one month but it is expected to extend this, particularly as Santos responded by announcing a reduction in the intensity of military operations to ‘de-escalate’ the internal armed conflict. There is always the danger that another serious incident in the internal armed conflict could impact the talks again, as in recent months, not least because the Farc made clear that all of its guerrilla units would be able to exercise “legitimate self-defence” if they come under attack from the military. But both sides are now fully conscious of just how precarious the prospects for peace have become. Public confidence in the process is at an all-time low, falling away sharply since Farc guerrillas killed 11 soldiers (it claimed in ‘self-defence’) in April, during its last unilateral ceasefire [WR-15-15].
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