The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia- People’s Army reached a peace agreement [text, in Spanish, PDF] on Wednesday. The agreement [press release, in Spanish] in Havana, Cuba ends an over 50 year conflict between the FARC rebels (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia- Ejército del Pueblo, FARC-EP) and the government. The conflict claimed [CNN report] over 220,000 people and displaced countless others. FARC rebels will have to hand over their weapons to United Nation’s (UN) monitors and issues regarding land reform, the drug trade, repatriation of victims’ families and bringing those suspected of human rights abuses to justice will be addressed. The Colombian people will have to decide on October 2, 2016, whether to vote [NPR report] for or against the agreement.

The peace agreement ends more than half a decade of conflict in the South American country. In June, the Colombian government and FARC signed [JURIST report] a ceasefire as the revolutionary forces transition to a peaceful political party. In January, the UN Security Council unanimously approved [JURIST report] a resolution authorizing the creation of a political peace mission in Colombia to monitor the disarmament between the Colombian government and FARC rebels. In November, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos pardoned [JURIST report] 30 former guerrilla soldiers in jail for non-violent and minor crimes. The agreement will address land rights and in November, Amnesty International (AI) said [JURIST report] the Colombian government should prioritize the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities above corporate interests. In September, FARC and the Colombian government reached [JURIST report] an agreement regarding punishing civil rights abuses, a move commended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.