How Colombia’s disarmament process transformed weapons into symbols of peace

By Dr. Julia Palik, Senior Researcher, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)

In 2016, the Colombian government and the guerrilla group FARC-EP ended their five decade-long war. As part of the peace agreement, FARC-EP’s weapons had to be collected, a process known as disarmament. By 2017, UN observers had received and removed over 8,112 guns, 1.3 million rounds of ammunition, 22 tons of explosives, 3,000 grenades and 1,000 landmines.

While impressive, not all weapons were surrendered, and getting new guns is still…

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