UN Declares Formal End to Fighting in Colombia

The United Nations declared the war between Colombia and FARC rebels formally over Monday after the rebels completed their disarmament.

U.N. monitors say they have “the entirety of the FARC’s registered individual arms stored away,” except for a handful of weapons being used for security at rural demobilization camps.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC commander Timochenko will hold a formal ceremony marking the end of the fighting at one of those camps Tuesday.

Colombia and the FARC rebels signed a peace accord last year, ending more than 50 years of an uprising against a series of Colombian governments, killing more than 200,000 people.

As part of the accord, many of the former rebels will avoid prison as they transition into civilian life, and FARC will transform itself into a political party.

The government also has opened peace talks with the country’s second rebel group, the National Liberation Army.

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