The UN Mission finalizes activities of neutralization of the FARC-EP armament

22 Sep 2017

The UN Mission finalizes activities of neutralization of the FARC-EP armament

Bogota, 22  September 2017.  The United Nations Mission in Colombia informs that, in accordance with the Peace Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP, the activities related to the laying down of weapons from the FARC-EP have finalized. These activities include the deactivation of the armament collected in the Transitional Local Zones for Normalization and Transitory Points, the one extracted during the arms caches operations and the destruction of unstable material.

The final consolidated of the laying down of weapons operations and activities is as follows:

  • 8,994 weapons as follow:

Small weapons:

  • Pistols: 1817 weapons.
  • Revolvers: 170 weapons.

Long weapons:

  • Assault rifles: 6,177 weapons.
  • Precision rifles: 28 weapons.
  • Shotguns: 6 weapons.
  • Submachine guns: 13 guns.
  • Machine guns: 274 guns.

Collective weapons to support combat:

  • Rocket launchers: 12 guns.
  • Launchers: 229 weapons.
  • Mortars of different calibre: 268 weapons.

 

  • 1,765,862 ammunitions of different sizes of small arms.
  • 38,255 kilograms of various explosives.
  • 51,911 meters of detonating cord and slow wick.
  • 11,015 hand grenades and 40 mm grenades.
  • 3,528 antipersonnel mines.
  • 46,288 starters.
  • 4,370 mortar rounds, including 81 mm, 60 mm and rockets.

Regarding the arms caches extraction operations, the Mission received information on the location of 1,027 arms caches, of which 750 arms caches were neutralized in 182 operations throughout Colombian territory. The UN Mission will provide to the Government of Colombia the information concerning of the arms caches not cleared. 

The Mission has received information from the Ministry of Defense of Colombia that during the period from November 24, 2016 to August 31, 2017, the Public force has confiscated 351 arms caches belonging to the FARC-EP, having found the following material:

  • 599 weapons.
  • 141.809 ammunition.
  • 7.310 kilograms of explosives.
  • 41.000 meters of detonating cord and slow wick.
  • 9.690 starters.
  • 5.579 explosives devices.

The number of arms caches seized by the Public Force added to the arms caches completed by UN Mission and FARC-EP teams reach an amount of 1,101 dismantled arms caches.

All deactivated armaments and the remains of the destroyed ammunition are stored in the UN Mission General Armament Warehouse, pending their final destination for the construction of the monuments to peace established in the Final Agreement.

In this last public act of the United Nations Mission in Colombia is formalized the end of the activities of the bilateral and definitive cease-fire between the National Government and the FARC-EP and the FARC-EP's laying down of weapons process, ending satisfactorily what was established in point 3 "End of conflict" of the Final Peace Agreement.

The UN Mission in Colombia recognizes the commitment and effort of both the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP to carry out this process. The UN Mission thanks the International Community and the contributing countries of International Observers and especially to inhabitants of all those local communities who accompanied us day by day during this process. We thank the deposited trust in all members of the Mission to verify the process of bilateral and definitive cease-fire and laying down of weapons in order to allow this important step for Colombia in the Peace process.

 

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Photos of the event here