Colombia, FARC reach agreement over victim reparations

HAVANA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Colombian government and the FARC rebel group have reached an agreement over reparations for victims of the decades-long conflict.

Victim reparations was one of the most sensitive issues in the peace talks that have been taking place in Havana, Cuba, since 2012. A special judicial system will be established to carry out punishment of war crimes.

"We have reached an agreement in Havana with the FARC on the point of victims," Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos wrote on Twitter. "Never before have been so close to a final agreement!"

The last point in the agenda to finalize the peace agreement is to establish a bilateral ceasefire and the details of the FARC's demobilization, disarmament and reintegration into Colombian society. Both sides have agreed to sign a final peace deal by the end of March.

"We are very pleased with this agreement on [victims] which no doubt is transcendental for what we are doing in this process," Colombian government spokeswoman Marcela Duran said.

In September, Colombia and the FARC agreed to a peace deal deadline -- setting up the possibility of ending the longest-running armed conflict in the South American continent.

More than 220,000 people have died and 5 million have been internally displaced due to the Colombian conflict since the FARC's founding in 1964. The militant rebel group has been involved in drug-trafficking, kidnapping and other illicit activity to fund its insurgency campaign.