President: Colombia on verge of completing rebel disarmament

BOGOTA – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says the nation is on the verge of completing an historic feat: All guerrillas in the country’s largest rebel group will soon have turned in their weapons.

Santos told business leaders in France on Friday that he expects the United Nations to declare that 100 per cent of rebel arms have been delivered to the peacekeeping mission.

Santos added that with the final weapons turnover, the oldest guerrilla force in Latin America “no longer exists.”

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia signed a peace accord to end the region’s longest-running conflict last year and is becoming a political party.

The U.N. Colombia mission could not confirm the weapons turnover.

An official event marking the disarmament is scheduled for Tuesday.