The Acting Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luigi R. Einaudi, today expressed satisfaction with yesterday’s demobilization of the 925 fighters from the Sinu-San Jorge faction of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) in Cordoba, Colombia.

The Secretary General added that “peace processes are usually extremely complex and produce real changes in the course of history; it’s not easy to restore democratic trust and the full enjoyment of peace after almost fifty years of armed conflict as in the case of Colombia.”

Einaudi reiterated his hope that the Colombian government would use its democratic institutions to strengthen the existing legal framework to sustain such a large-scale demobilization. He said that while these developments are essentially dynamic and creative, not everything can be expected to be resolved overnight.

The Secretary General recalled that the OAS has been supporting and verifying the demobilization process through its Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia, which the Permanent Council established in February 2004. He stressed that every effort would be made to strengthen and pursue the mandate of this Mission.

Finally, Einaudi said that bringing the war to and end, and doing so in an effective manner, is a shared responsibility of the international community and the Colombian government. He noted that this effort opens up new avenues for negotiating with other armed groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN).

Reference: E-010/05