Celebrations erupt across Colombia as FARC insurgents down guns after landmark treaty ends 50 years of drugs-fuelled bloodshed
The violent Marxists also issued an apology to the countless victims of the the civil war which has ravaged the South American country for half a century
COLOMBIA'S leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel force signed a historic peace treaty with the national government yesterday.
The violent Marxists also issued an apology to the countless victims of the the civil war which has ravaged the South American country for half a century.
In an emotional open-air ceremony, President Juan Manuel Santos welcomed the communists into the political sphere after signing the deal with rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, alias Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez.
Clad in white, the former mortal enemies signed and shook hands, smiling before an audience of international dignitaries, to loud cheers.
The ceremony in the city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast followed a four-year process to end the last major armed conflict in the Americas.
The accord still needs to be ratified by a referendum in a week.
Timochenko said: "We are being reborn to launch a new era of reconciliation and of building peace.
"In the name of the FARC, I sincerely apologise to all the victims of the conflict for any pain we may have caused during this war."
Colombian authorities estimate the territorial and ideological conflict has killed 260,000 people, left 45,000 missing and uprooted 6.9million.
The FARC leader continued: "Let no one doubt that we are moving towards politics without weapons. Let us all prepare to disarm hearts and minds."
President Santos then addressed a message to the thousands of FARC fighters preparing to lay down arms in their jungle camps.
He said: "When you begin your return to society... as head of state of the homeland that we all love, I welcome you to democracy.
"Swapping bullets for votes and weapons for ideas is the bravest and most intelligent decision that any rebel group could take."
The 2,500 guests at the signing included UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
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Ban welcomed the agreement creating "conditions for a lasting peace".
An array of Latin American heads of state, including Cuban President Raul Castro, sat near the signatories on stage as the crowd waved white handkerchiefs and shouted: "No more war!"
A squadron of planes conducted a flyby at sunset, prompting Timochenko to joke: "This time, they're coming to salute peace and not drop bombs."
The FARC launched its guerrilla war against the Colombian government in 1964, after a peasant uprising that was crushed by the army.
Over the decades, the conflict drew in several leftist rebel groups, right-wing paramilitaries and drug gangs.
Under the deal, the FARC will now relaunch as a political party with 57-year-old Timochenko expected to remain leader.
At a remote jungle camp in El Diamante, western Colombia, FARC fighter David Preciado celebrated the accord by playing football with his comrades.
He said: "The government did not defeat us, and we did not defeat them. Our 52 years of war were not in vain.
"We are aware that we have to move forward together, united... to finally achieve victory, giving power to the people by political means."
The rebels came to the table after being weakened by an army offensive led by Santos, 65, when he was defence minister.
After he became president, four years of talks hosted by Cuba yielded a final 300-page accord last month.
It grants an amnesty for "political crimes" committed during the conflict, but not for the worst atrocities, such as massacres, torture and rape.
The FARC's fighters -- estimated by authorities to number more than 7,000 -- are to leave their mountain and jungle hideouts and disarm in a UN-supervised process.
Recent polls show the "Yes" camp in the lead to ratify the accord in a referendum on October 2.
But some Colombians resent the concessions made to the FARC.
Former president Alvaro Uribe led a demonstration against the deal on Monday.
"The Americans would not grant impunity to Osama Bin Laden. The French would not grant impunity to (Islamist militants) ISIS," he said.
"Why should we Colombians grant total impunity to terrorists?"
At the ceremony, Santos said: "I prefer an imperfect accord that saves lives to a perfect war that keeps sowing death and pain."
Kerry met with Santos on Monday and told the Colombian president that "a lot of hard work's been accomplished, but we have a lot of hard work ahead of us."
"The United States is very committed to being there with you, not just at the beginning... but now as people will look to see the result," he said.
The European Union suspended the FARC from its list of terrorist groups, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
The government has yet to begin planned peace talks with another, smaller leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), saying it must first stop kidnappings.
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