Colombians Vote to Reject Peace Agreement with Farc in Public Referendum

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The majority of people in Colombia have voted in a referendum to reject a peace agreement between the country’s government and the rebel group known as the Farc (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia).

The peace deal was signed late last month by President Juan Manuel Santos and the Farc leader known as Timoleon Jimenez but was required to be put to a vote by Colombians themselves before coming into effect.

The referendum was put to the population on Sunday and despite early signs that the “yes” campaign would win, the final result showed that 50.2% of voters were in favour of rejecting the agreement.

President Santos has said that he accepts the outcome but will keep working to achieve peace and that the bilateral ceasefire between government forces and the Farc would continue. Timoleon Jimenez has also stated that the Farc remains dedicated to bringing the conflict to an end.

The President has promised to “continue the search for peace” until the last moment of his mandate in order to leave a better country to the children of Colombia. He has also said that he would meet with all other political parties to talk over the next steps and “open space for dialogue”.

Click below to read about this story in more depth on the BBC News website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37537252

Image source: www.mapsofworld.com

Text source: www.bbc.co.uk (3rd October 2016)

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