Colombia's FARC Accuses Govt of Weak Commitment to Peace, Threatens to Delay Disarmament

Colombia's largest left-wing guerrilla army is in the process of laying down its weapons once and for all, but continues to hit roadblocks as the FARC's top leader has slammed the government for repeatedly failing to comply with the peace agreement signed with the former rebels, and warned it could lead to delays in the process of disarmament.

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The government of President Juan Manuel Santos become the target of criticsm over the detention, in recent days, of a demobilizing-FARC rebel working on the implmentation of the peace deal.

FARC head Rodrigo Londoño, known by his alias Timoleon Jimenez or Timochenko, said the group will request an international oversight commission in light of the detention. 

"In the face of the government's repeated failure to comply with the peace agreement, the FARC requested international oversight," wrote Timochenko on Twitter, suggesting the group would seek additional monitoring mechanisms for the peace agreement, signed in November 2016, that already has the support of the United Nations.

Timochenko also said that the FARC will consider delaying the disarmament deadline for the former troops, a process that is scheduled to be completed by June 20, after the government detained one of their members, alias Yimmi Rios, in Bogota.

"With the argument that Yimmi Rios was captured, any member of the FARC who is involved in implementation tasks can be stopped," said Timochenko.

According to the FARC leader, Rios was allowed to do "implementation-related tasks" as part of the peace deal following an agreement reached with the High Commissioner for Peace.

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President Santos said the detention had been a misunderstanding with respect to Rios' identity and that the problem will be resolved soon.

The government and the FARC already agreed to extend the disarmament deadline from May 30 to June 20 due to other reasons, including delays in construction for the 26 transition zones where the 7,000 rebels have to stay during the preliminary implementation of the peace process in order to prepare to reintegrate into civilian life.

"There will be an additional 20 days for disarmament, and 60 for reintergration. It is nothing to finish well after 53 years of confrontation and violence," said Santos, stressing the peace agreement is still historic despite delays. However, Mauricio Lizcano, president of the Senate, said this request was "unacceptable."