• Country/entity

  Colombia
  

• Region

  Americas
  

• Agreement name

  Acta de Acuerdo: Reunión Preparatoria Para la Convención Nacional, Gobierno Nacional-ELN

• Date

  8 Oct 1998

• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed

• Interim arrangement

  Yes

• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Colombian Conflict (1964 - ) )

• Stage

  Pre-negotiation/process

• Conflict nature

  Government

• Peace process

  Colombia III - Arango

• Parties

  For the national government:
  • GONZALO DE FRANCISCO
  
  For ELN:
  • FRANCISCO GALÁN
  • FELIPE TORRES

• Third parties

  Witnesses: • FATHER JORGE MARTÍNEZ • ANTONIO PICÓN • MARIO GÓMEZ J. • JUAN DIEGO GRANADOS S. • PIERRE GASSMANN • JAIME JARAMILLO PANESSO • JORGE IGNACIO CASTAÑO

• Description

  The document deals with the steering/control of the process; the security of the process (e.g. delimitation of geogr zone for prep meeting, access routes etc.); the actual delimitation of the zone incl. a ceasefire with days and exact times; the details of transport and its different forms; security norms and behaviour of public and ELN forces during the meeting; observing/observer mechanisms; logistics /provided by the CIRC; communication channels; permits for two spokesmen of the ELN and conditions of their movement to the meeting and guarantees for their return.

• Agreement document

  CO_981008_ACTA DE ACUERDO REUNI‡N PREPARATORIA PARA LA CONVENCION NACIONAL GOB ELN - tr .pdf | Download PDF

• Agreement document (original language)

  CO_981008_ACTA DE ACUERDO REUNIÓN PREPARATORIA PARA LA CONVENCION NACIONAL GOB ELN.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT:

PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE NATIONAL CONVENTION, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT – NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY

Itagüí, Antioquia, 8 October 1998

The following agreement has been reached regarding the preparatory meeting for the national convention:

PROCEDURAL

The parties (the national government and the National Liberation Army [Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN]), appoint Gonzalo de Francisco and Francisco Galán as the sole decision-making authorities for the process.

These authorities will be responsible to the country for the smooth running of the process and all participants and other people involved in the event will be under the authorities’ command and leadership in line with their specific responsibilities.

The parties will maintain appropriate contact with the verification institutions and other parties involved in the implementation of the agreement so as to respond to any specific requirements with due speed and accuracy.

SECURITY

The national government will be responsible for security before, during and after the preparatory meeting for the agreed period of time.

Security is based on four aspects:

determining a geographic area and routes for access

transport

security regulations

verification mechanisms.

DETERMINING A GEOGRAPHIC AREA

The geographic area coinciding with the boundaries of the municipalities of San Luis, San Francisco and Cocorná in the department of Antioquia is agreed in line with the attached map.

This geographic area, in line with legal regulations, will be understood as a demilitarised zone with the cessation of offensive operations from 0000 on Saturday, 10 October 1998 until 2400 on 14 October 1998.

TRANSPORT

The parties shall agree the details of transport from the sites of origin to the agreed area and then the subsequent return.

It is necessary to distinguish between the following types of transport, since each may require a different strategy:

transport of the ELN spokespeople and their entourage (national and international)

transport of other members of the operating committee for the national convention

transport of the media.

In all cases, it will be necessary to define the mode of transport to be used, the routes to be followed and the security measures to be put in place.

Air transport:

Flight 1:

Saturday 10 October, a logistic flight to transport the supplies required for the meeting.

Flight 2:

Saturday 10 October, to transport Felipe Torres and Francisco Galán, accompanied by two representatives of the International Red Cross Committee (Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja, CICR), two representatives from the Spanish embassy, two representatives of the national government and a television camera technician that does not belong to any media organisation.

Flight 3:

Sunday 11 October, leaving from Olaya Herrera airport at 0700 with a group comprising members of the operating committee for the national convention and the supporting secretariat, totalling 19 people, accompanied by a representative of CICR.

A representative of the national government will be on-board the flight.

Flight 4 (double): Tuesday 13 October, 0800 from Rionegro airport, carrying 40 members of the media (20 per flight) that have previously been registered.

These journalists will be accompanied by CICR, the Peace Facilitation Commission for Antioquia and a representative of the national government.

Media will only have access to the established media area and will under no circumstances be allowed to travel via another mode of transport.

Flight 5:

Return trip for flight 2, Tuesday, 13 October 1998.

Flight 6:

Return trip for flight 3, Tuesday, 13 October 1998.

Flight 7 (double): Return trip for flight 4, Tuesday, 13 October 1998.

SECURITY REGULATIONS

To guarantee the success of the meeting, the following minimum standards of behaviour for the defined period of time must be agreed:

public forces will be stationed at their bases and/or the agreed sites and will cease all offensive operations from and until the dates and times that are agreed;

ELN forces present in the area will cease all types of offensive operations, also from and until the dates and times that are agreed;

the national government and ELN forces present in the area will put in place all the security procedures to allow the transport of participants to the site of the meeting and their return to their place of origin.

VERIFICATION MECHANISMS

The Colombian Episcopal Conference will be in charge of the verification commission, with the support and facilitation of CICR and the ombudsperson.

The aforementioned institutions will appoint figures for duties in line with their functions and the methodological guidelines explained below.

The coordination centre for the commission will be located in the municipality of El Santuario, Antioquia, with the following critical control points:

Monteloro, Calderas, La Granja, El Borojó, Pavas, Altavista, Naranjales, Aragonés, La Tebaida and El Silencio.

The verification commission will have the following functions:

verifying compliance with the application of the security regulations in the delimited area;

informing the sole authorities of any development they deem worthy of reporting;

present reports of the situation to the sole authorities in line with the agreed frequency.

To ensure compliance with its functions, the verification commission will be entitled to autonomy over its operational organisation, in line with the area to be verified and the access routes.

It will appoint coordinators who will be in permanent contact with the working teams to ensure full compliance with their functions.

Under all circumstances, the verification commission will consider the following minimum methodological guidelines:

it will establish the working groups and appoint the coordinators required for the delimited area and access routes;

each group will be assigned an area to verify and one or more routes to follow;

each group will submit a periodic report of the situation to its appointed coordinator in line with the schedule that is defined;

each coordinator will inform the head of the verification commission of relevant information, who will inform the sole authorities;

for the final reports, the sole authorities will take the necessary measures to guarantee full compliance with the agreed security standards;

if there are any developments that affect or could affect the security conditions, these must be immediately reported through the regular channels.

CICR will provide the transport and communication required for the operation of the verification commission.

LOGISTICS

CICR will provide the following inputs:

a doctor

two generators

two computers with printer

a satellite telephone

sleeping materials for 20 people

basic drugs

water, drinks and basic food

torches

batteries

plates.

The secretarial body of the operating commission will supply basic office materials.

THE MEDIA

The moment for the participation of the media and the number of representatives will be determined by the parties.

Under all circumstances, the authorised media will be accredited and will be the only media representatives entitled to take part in the meeting.

The parties will agree the criteria for inviting and selecting the media to attend, the site where they will be located, transport and the manual for the handling of information.

The Peace Facilitation Commission for Antioquia will be responsible for accrediting and handling the process for the transport of media.

ELN SPOKESPEOPLE

The national government will authorise the provision of safe-conducts to the ELN spokespeople Francisco Galán and Felipe Torres, together with the conditions for their transport to the venue of the meeting.

ELN spokespeople will guarantee the national government their return to the national prison in Itagüí.

For the national government:

GONZALO DE FRANCISCO

For ELN:

FRANCISCO GALÁN

FELIPE TORRES

Witnesses:

FATHER JORGE MARTÍNEZ

ANTONIO PICÓN

MARIO GÓMEZ J.

JUAN DIEGO GRANADOS S.

PIERRE GASSMANN

JAIME JARAMILLO PANESSO

JORGE IGNACIO CASTAÑO